Troubled
by Chickienine
Summary: When Chad stopped talking, he was sure that nothing would change how he lived the rest of his life. Then he's sent to Camp HumuHumu as a last ditch attempt for recovery , where he meets Ryan, a compulsive liar who won't leave Chad alone. Chyan AU
1. Chapter 1

**Troubled**

Pairings: Chad/Ryan, Troy/Gabriella, Jason/Kelsi

Warnings: Slash, AU, Crossdressing, Fluff, slight angst, and lots of randomness.

Disclaimers: Don't own.

* * *

Chad gazed out the window of his dad's old station wagon, and watched the wet, woodsy landscape fly by. Or he tried to, anyway. The sky had become unforgivably gray three hours ago and had let loose its anger onto the yielding soil below, therefore severing Chad from his sole occupation for the duration of the drive to Camp HumuHumu.

He sighed at his reflection in the glass and shifted slightly in his seat, as Aerosmith filtered through his earphones, drowning out the voices of his parents arguing in the front.

They were late.

It had been their decision to send him to this camp for the summer. The Danforths had exhausted all means of getting their son to start talking again, but to no avail. It had been a shock when they had come home to a quiet house to find Chad's grandfather cold on the floor and the boy himself sitting on his bed doodling in a notebook.

The doctors said it had been a heart attack, and that Chad probably wouldn't have been able to do anything, had he been in the room or not. Whatever the case, Chad had stopped talking from that moment on. He withdrew from his friends and spent all his time sketching inside of a blue notebook.

The Danforths had tried everything, from therapy groups to psychiatrists, but Chad remained stubbornly silent. What was more frustrating was that no one could explain what was wrong. His actions were those of any other teenager. He didn't skip class, didn't cause trouble, and was deemed physically healthy. But the Danforths were convinced that something wasn't right. Their son had cut himself off in a very important way. No friends came to visit, no emotions crossed his face, and no words ever escaped his mouth.

That had been nearly three years ago. Chad had let his parents take him to every shrink they came across, every support group and therapy session they had read about. He had endured it all for their benefit, but he personally didn't want any help. He didn't talk because there was no need, but he felt that denying his parents the opportunity to try helping would be like kicking a puppy in the face. They just cared so much, and Chad didn't want to hurt them anymore than he already had by resisting their attempts. So he had agreed to go to the camp by packing up his notebook and some clothes and sitting in the car for the whole eight hours it had taken to drive to New Mexico.

But now they were lost, or "confused" as his mother had explained to him an hour ago. The GPS in the car had taken them to the middle of nowhere, and they were now trying to find their way through the trees with an out of date map, and a flickering flashlight.

As "Dream On" finished it's last melancholy chord, a flash of light illuminated the scene outside of the window just enough for Chad to glimpse what looked like a rippling lake between the trees. Chad sat up and tapped his mother gently on the shoulder, pointing out the window when she glanced back at him. She rubbed the cuff of her sleeve on the glass and peered out into the darkness. Seconds later, there was another flash of light. The road veered to the right and even in the darkness, you could make out a few log cabins littering the area.

Mr. Danforth slowed his car to a stop just beside the tall wooden arch proclaiming "Welcome to Camp HumuHumu."


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan dashed down the hall, hand pressed to the top of his head to keep his midnight blue fedora from falling off. His eyes frantically searched for any sign of pink in the vicinity, double-checking after the first cursory glance, just in case he had happened to miss her or she decided to materialize the next second just to spite him. He was going to be in so much trouble when he found her.

But Sharpay really couldn't blame him for this one. It wasn't his fault that he had been distracted by the tall, black boy leaning suspiciously against the door of the counselor's office. It had looked like he was having trouble keeping himself from twisting the knob of the closed office door and dashing inside for a perusal. He kept alternating the position of his arms, from loose to crossed and back again. Ryan had had to chat him up. He was absolutely delicious. He had taken one look at the boy's guilty face and grinned from ear to ear, gracefully pivoting on his heel and striding confidently up to him.

Said boy jumped when Ryan had approached him and quickly shoved his hands into his pockets to keep them from twitching.

'_Ah. A klepto,' _Ryan's mind helpfully supplied as he casually placed his palm flat on the door behind the boy and leaned into his personal space.

"I'm Ryan," he grinned up at the much taller boy, causing him to swallow heavily and let out a shaky breath before licking his lips. _'Yummy,' _Ryan thought.

"Zeke," the boy stuttered out, then after a pause, "I'm not gay." Ryan's grin turned into a decidedly evil-looking smirk.

"And what does that have to do with anything, sugar?" he replied sweetly. Zeke gulped once again and made a painful noise deep in his throat, which Ryan took as an opportunity to stare openly at his neckline. "I was more interested in your sticky fingers than your sexual orientation. You know, the counselor doesn't really have the proper disposition to value such a talent." Ryan leisurely trailed his eyes up Zeke's throat to his lips before locking on his eyes. He slowly licked his lips before gracing the other boy with his naughtiest smile.

"Masters is a tiger. Extremely enthusiastic. But no skill whatsoever. He wouldn't know what to do with a good pair of hands." Ryan glanced pointedly down at Zeke's trembling hands, still clothed in their denim confinement. Zeke choked on a lungful of air, his eyes widening impossibly at Ryan's implications.

The blonde shifted closer, shrinking the gap between them, so that his mouth lingered right below his ear.

"I'm in cabin eight if you decide you need any assistance," Ryan murmured softly before pushing slowly away from the door and sauntering away. He pointedly did not look back at the boy he had left melting against Mr. Masters' office door. However, he couldn't help the huge grin that blossomed on his face after he had turned the corner.

It wasn't until he was already half way back to his cabin that he had remembered that Sharpay had wanted him to meet her in the lobby of the activities building at 6 o'clock. Which was why he was currently sprinting down the corridor at a quarter past to find her.

Ryan tore around another corner and came to an abrupt stop when he spotted something even more pleasing to his eye than the klepto back at the counselor's.

A family was just entering the building, drenched and trailing water. The boy was clutching a duffel close to his person, and hung back when his parents stepped forward to meet the coordinator who had just wandered out of her office.

The guy was hot. That was all Ryan's brain could compute as he soaked in the boy's appearance. Dark skin glistened with moisture and made Ryan think of very naughty things involving showers and steam. Dark jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt covered a very nice body from what Ryan could see. _'Thank God for clinging clothes.'_ The planes of his face were all nice and angled and made his full lips and big brown eyes all the more striking. _'Why, oh why must they always have those eyes?'_ And to complete the picture was a crown of beautiful curls, dripping water onto the tile below.

That lovely figure turned its head and zeroed in on him standing in the corner of the lobby, giving him a spectacular presentation of those gorgeous eyes.

Ryan thought he had died and gone to heaven.

The other boy gazed at him beneath his dripping curls, expression unreadable. Ryan gave him another once-over, searching for hints of a tick or other abnormality, but found nothing. Ryan blinked. He was usually pretty good at reading people's bodies for their signs, but this guy came off as completely normal. There was no shuffling of the feet, no nervous twitching, no outward signs of distress.

Ryan shifted onto the balls of his feet. _'Well, then. A hello is in order. If I can't read his body for clues, maybe I can figure it out when he opens that pretty mouth of his.'_ Ryan smiled cheerily and pushed off on his left foot, ready to start interrogating—when a vice-like grip settled on his upper arm.

"Ryan…" a steely warning sounded from his right. Ryan froze.

'_Oh, shit.'_


	3. Chapter 3

Chad stared at the pair frantically arguing on the other side of the room with an expression bordering on awe. He had been somewhat annoyed when he had noticed the guy first eyeballing him across the room.

'_Never seen a guy come in out of the rain before?'_

For a second, he had been dreading the possibility of the guy coming over to talk, but now he was contemplating the sanity of the people in front of him. The girl who had all but tackled his observer _(thank you thank you thank you)_ was wearing way too much pink. It was nearly blinding. Her clingy dress and long, blond hair complimented her figure very well, and Chad was sure he would have taken a longer perusal had he been interested or seen a hint of normalcy _(and less pink)._

She was towering over her companion in pink stiletto heels, her arm still wrapped tightly around his bicep. Her expression was one of pure rage. Chad almost felt sorry for the guy. Whatever he had done must have sent her over the edge _(if she hadn't been there already)_, and he was sure he was going to be witness to an imminent breakup shortly. Then again, he couldn't really care less about the fate of the guy's probable all too short life since he had taken the liberty of staring at him when he was looking less than normal.

'_And really, I'm doing you a favor. If you don't have the backbone to stop your girlfriend from dressing you before you go outside, you probably deserve whatever's coming.'_

The guy's outfit was almost as ridiculous as his girlfriend's. His jeans looked like they had been painted on to his skin, and if his black tee and blue vest weren't enough _(it's shimmering at me)_, he was wearing a hat. A dark blue hat that was most definitely sparkling beneath the room's florescent lighting.

The guy finally managed to wrest his arm free of its captive state and took a step backward, raising his arms placatingly in front of him.

"Now, Shar," Chad heard him say in a soothing tone. "Don't make a scene. You know what it does to your blood pressure."

"A scene? A scene?!" the girl shrieked, slightly stamping her heel on the tile. "Six o'clock, Ryan! Do you know what that means?! You left me waiting for half an hour!!" The girl settled her hands on her hips and took a step forward. Chad had to admit she was pretty intimidating.

"Your blood pressure, Shar—"

"I don't HAVE high blood pressure!!" she declared loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the vicinity. Chad's parents stared at the blond, shock quite apparent on their features, causing Chad to want to duck his head in embarrassment. Why, he had no idea.

The coordinator cleared her throat and glanced meaningfully at the pair across the room.

"Miss Evans? Mr. Evans?" _'They're related?' "_Can we try to keep a respectable volume in the building?" The girl glared moodily, but didn't respond. Her brother grinned sheepishly and ducked his head.

"Sorry, Ms. Linderman. Shar was just upset because her blood pressure has been high lately since she's been worried about our parents' marriage."

Linderman cocked an eyebrow acutely.

"That's not true, Ms. Linderman. Ryan's just saying things so he won't get in trouble," the girl put in.

"I'm just trying to look out for your welfare, Shar."

"I don't have high blood pressure!"

"Shar, you're being hysterical."

"I am NOT hysterical!!"

"Well, you're not very calm, eith—"

"That's enough!" The coordinator stepped between the bickering siblings.

"Miss Evans. Mr. Evans. If the two of you would be so kind as to finish up your discussion elsewhere, I could get Mr. Danforth settled into his cabin." Chad looked up at the woman quickly.

'_Oh, no. You're not getting me involved in this. I want nothing to do with that insane family.'_ But before he could indicate his disproval to his parents, the male sibling stepped forward eagerly.

"I can show him, Ms. Linderman!" he intoned with a cheerful smile at Chad's parents. "I know the whole area, and I could introduce him to some of the other campers."

'_Oh, God no!'_ Chad reeled back slightly, ready to bolt if the boy got too close.

His sister looked ready to murder someone, most likely her brother, but the coordinator placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder to halt his movement.

"That's quite alright, Mr. Evans." _'Yes! Thank you, God!' _"I think it would be more beneficial if I—" Ryan shot forward before Linderman could finish and grabbed Chad's wrist, pulling him forward. Chad flinched.

"It's no trouble at all. Really! My doctor said I should be fine around other people now that the violence has stopped." And before another protest could be made, he was off down a side corridor, dragging Chad along behind him.

"Violence?!" "Will Chad be alright going along with—" Chad heard his parents' worried exclamations as he was hurried along the hall.

'_See? This is what happens when you send people to a camp for problem teenagers.'_

"Don't pay attention to what Ryan says," he heard the snarky voice of the blond girl just before he was pushed through a set of double doors at the end of the hall. "He's a compulsive liar."


	4. Chapter 4

Ryan led his unwitting companion through a series of open rooms, each set up for a specific purpose. He was somewhat disappointed that the other boy had already pulled away from him and had dropped behind, so that he was following Ryan, rather than walking beside him. However, he didn't let this small detail get to him. He could play the chase. After all, where was the fun without a good challenge?

Ryan slowed his pace until he was keeping time with the boy, then started up a lively conversation, hoping to hit on something that would spark a reaction out of the stoic boy.

"So you arrived pretty late, you know?" Ryan started, fishing for details about the gorgeous man beside him. "Camp actually started a week ago. I'm sure you'll do great, though. If you have any problems, you can come to me. I know the whole camp already. Of course, I've been coming since forever, but this is usually a one-time deal kind of thing, so I can understand if it gets a bit overwhelming. There are a few other old-timers like me, but everyone else is pretty much new. By the way, I'm Ryan. What's your name?"

The other boy stared at him, most likely completely put off by his motor mouth, but Ryan couldn't bring himself to care. He smiled sunnily at his companion, taking a moment to peruse the boy's features appreciatively. He frowned slightly when the other continued on with no answer, but recovered quickly and flashed another smile at him.

"Not a big talker, huh? That's alright. I can talk enough for the two of us. Guess you already noticed that, huh? Shar's always saying that she'll disown me from the family if I can't learn to control what I say. One time, we were kicked out of the mayor's dinner party because I couldn't stop commenting on his wife's new dress. But really, that thing was hideous. You'd think that a political figure would know how to dress properly, wouldn't you? Of course, Shar agreed with me completely. She knows all about fashion and what to wear for every occasion. She has three separate wardrobes in her room alone, not counting—" Ryan stopped just outside another set of double doors.

"That's the mess hall," he said, indicating the area beyond the doors. "There'll be times when we eat outside, but most meals will be held in here, so no worries." Another sunny smile formed on his lips. This was something Ryan knew how to do. Speak to an audience. He eased into the rest of the conversation with a familiarity that suggested long-time friendship.

"I'll take you to the recreation room, so you can see where everyone hangs out. Then, we can head out to your cabin. You're most likely in fourteen. They only have three guys in there. I've been thinking about moving in myself. One of the beds has a direct line with the window, and the sunshine pours in perfectly. I really need sunshine, you know. The light revitalizes the pores in my skin. It also brings out the blond in my hair and the blue in my eyes. That's all very essential to my well-being."

Ryan turned his head to watch the effect his words were having on the other, pleased when he saw a slight widening of the eyes and tensing in the shoulders. He grinned internally, satisfied that he hadn't lost his touch. It was such great fun to be able to unnerve another person with just a few simple words.

He escorted his silent companion through several of the various activity rooms, chattering on without pause, until he gestured the other boy through an open archway leading into the rec room. He paused briefly at the doorway, fully appreciating the view that was presented to him, before following the other in. _'Oh, the joys of wet clothes.'_

Ryan stepped up beside his charge, who had halted a few paces into the room. He spread his arms wide as if to encompass the whole room along with its sole occupant, who looked up abruptly as the duo entered.

"The rec room," he declared, as if that was explanation itself. Not much could be said about the state of said room. The walls were bare, though there were stains on them suggesting that picture frames had once littered the empty expanse. A huge fireplace took up the majority of one side of the room, but from the looks of things, no fire had been made for some time. There were several couches placed randomly around the area, but each one sported a different style, which created a kind of chaotic, homey atmosphere.

"And this lovely lady," Ryan supplied, stepping forward to offer his hand to the girl lounging against the couch nearest to the cold fireplace, "is our very own Kelsi Nielsen."

"Ryan." Kelsi giggled sweetly, accepting his hand and allowing herself to be pulled up and twirled around.

"Kelsi, this is young Mr. Danforth. He will be joining our merry little group of delinquents. I trust you'll give him a proper greeting, though preferably after he has had a chance to settle in." Ryan leaned towards the silent one and whispered conspiratorially.

"You need to watch out for Kelsi. If you leave yourself open, you'll find yourself on your back before you can blink." The boy stepped back warily from the two, his face one of barely concealed alarm.

"Ryan," she playfully scolded, smiling indulgently. "You know you're not supposed to be scaring off new campers." She smiled warmly at the newcomer.

Ryan stepped away from her in mock indignance, crossing his arms and pouting fully.

"I'm just giving him fair warning. We wouldn't want him to be traumatized the first week in and have to be sent home early."

A clatter of heels on the tiled floor outside the room interrupted further discussion and moments later, a tall girl in a light green summer dress and matching shoes burst into the room.


	5. Chapter 5

'_What the fuck?'_

Chad stared at the being he had originally thought was a girl.

He had known that coming to a camp like this would result in meeting and most likely interacting with people that had certain eccentricities, but he had never expected to run into a crossdresser.

At first glance, the newcomer had seemed completely female, from the long brown hair flowing down his _(or is it her?) _shoulders to the carefully painted fingernails. However, on closer inspection she _(he?)_ showed various signs at being less than female. Now that Chad had gotten a proper view of him, he could see the quite mannish hands, the broad shoulders, and the evidence of toned muscles that couldn't be hidden under the boy's flowing dress.

"Helen! What brings you to this neck of the woods?" Ryan questioned cheekily, full-blown grin covering his face. "I'd have thought this place would have been entirely too open for your tastes." Kelsi smacked Ryan lightly on the arm.

"Be nice." Ryan stuck his tongue out, but kept quiet.

"Hey, Troy. What's going on?" she asked.

Troy _(or is it Helen?)_ scanned the room nervously, pausing momentarily over Chad's profile before settling on Kelsi. "You haven't seen Sharpay around anywhere, have you?" he inquired softly, lowering his voice further when he got to the name.

'_Shar pei? You mean the mad, pink monstrosity that wants to murder Ryan? No wonder she's crazy. I'd be crazy too if I were named after one of those wrinkled little dogs.' _

Kelsi shook her head in answer to Troy/Helen's question. "Haven't seen her since lunch actually."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry, Helen." Ryan piped in. _'Worry?' _"I'm pretty sure Shar is back home already. She was telling me earlier how all this outdoor air was damaging her sense of equilibrium. I doubt she stuck around to see just how much. Have you seen her split-ends?"

"Excuse me?!"

Everyone shifted their attention to the blond girl standing in the doorway, glaring pointedly at her brother, hands placed strategically on her hips. Both Ryan and the crossdresser jumped when they noticed her presence, and tried to shrink in on themselves. Kelsi watched on in amusement, and Chad stood there, still carrying his duffel and dripping water onto the floor. He almost wanted to roll his eyes at the entire situation, but refrained from doing so at the cost of being noticed by the group.

'_Does anyone even pay attention to the boy dripping water all over the floor? No…'_

"I can't believe you, Ryan! First, you stand me up in the lobby, and when I finally find you, you're eyeing up this mute," Sharpay complained, gesturing towards Chad with one hand.

'_Hey!' _Chad knew it was technically true, but that didn't mean he wanted her to say it like that.

"Hey!" Ryan voiced, almost right at the same time Chad thought it. "Just because he doesn't talk much doesn't mean he's a mute!"

'_That's right! Ryan knows what he's talking about! Wait. What?'_

"Please, Ryan," Sharpay scoffed. "I was the one who stayed behind to fix the little problem you created before taking off with Mr. I Don't Wanna Talk. I had to explain to his parents that you're not insane, just crazy. And now I find you a whole hour after our scheduled meeting time making friends with the nympho and the drag queen!"

'_Huh. So he wasn't lying about the jumping thing.'_

Sharpay turned her attention towards Chad, who resisted the temptation to freeze like a deer in headlights. She tossed a small silver key at him, which he caught easily. "You're in cabin fourteen. Your parents send their love and asked you to write when you get the chance, Chad," she intoned derisively. Chad stared at her expressionlessly until she rolled her eyes and pivoted on her heel.

"Coming, Ryan?" she tossed over her shoulder, heading out the door.

Chad watched the boy struggle indecisively in his spot, seemingly torn between running after his sister for more details and staying behind to finish up with Chad.

"Ryan!" Sharpay called demandingly.

Kelsi smiled knowingly, and walked up to Ryan, clasping his hand in hers and following after Sharpay.

"Come on, Ryan. Let's go."

"But—" the blonde protested, peering back over his shoulder at Chad.

"Don't worry. Troy can show Chad his cabin," she replied, dragging the boy along.

'_What? You're just leaving me here with the crossdresser?'_

"I—well, okay," Ryan conceded reluctantly, twisting around to wave goodbye.

"I'll talk to you later, Chad. It was nice meeting you," he called, flashing another sunny smile. Then cheekily added, "Bye, Helen!"

The room fell into silence for a couple of moments, before Chad turned to his new guide and raised a questioning eyebrow.

'_Helen?'_

As if reading his thoughts, the boy sighed and replied drearily, "Helen of Troy."

'_Oh, jesus."_


	6. Chapter 6

Chad collapsed onto his bed the second he got back to the cabin.

'_I give up.'_ He stared at the ceiling, ignoring Zeke and Jason who were arguing over which girl was the hottest in the camp. Chad couldn't really care less. They were all insane anyway.

'_Maybe that's the problem.'_ He shifted so that his hands were pillowing his head. _'I keep trying to act normal, when I'm living in a place that practically dictates that you shouldn't be.'_

It had been three days since he had received his less than ordinary welcome to Camp HumuHumu, and he had barely just adjusted to the changes in his lifestyle. It was a shock being away from home where he had gotten used to the accommodating attitudes of his parents. Here, he was often overlooked, if not completely ignored. No one was willing to put in all the effort it took to communicate with the silent teenager, and Chad found himself alone most of the time. Which was fine by him. He was used to being alone after all. But now, he had to work all that much harder to achieve anything he wanted because he refused to write it down or, heaven forbid, mime it out.

Ryan seemed to see himself as the sole exception to Chad's newfound independence. After somehow maneuvering his way into cabin fourteen _(I bet they agreed just to get him to shut up about that sunlight thing)_, he had taken to following Chad around the camp, chattering nonstop about whatever popped into his head, even filling in the words for Chad sometimes. Although his enthusiasm was somewhat draining, Chad couldn't say he minded as much as he had originally. The blonde's constant talking provided Chad with an escape from the vacuum that usually permeated his thoughts. Plus, Chad had to admit that while Ryan wasn't his favorite person, he had a body meant for sketching.

'_It must be all that lying. It makes him so expressive, like an actor or something. I can never tell when he's actually lying and when he's telling the truth.'_

Chad had already drawn several sketches of Ryan, most of when he wasn't aware of the silent boy's presence, as well as some of the other campers. He even had a hasty drawing of the anorexic Jason, whose figure was so full of angles that he looked more like a wooden carving than a person.

Chad crossed his feet at the ankles, turning his eyes to the bed opposite his.

Something about the Evans boy had drawn his attention more than usual. His mind couldn't quite grasp at the reason, some elusive meaning just out of his reach.

'_It's an aesthetic appreciation for his looks. The Evans twins both have an impressive aura about them. He's just more appealing to me 'cuz his sister is completely nuts.'_

Just as Chad decided on this, the cabin door slammed open, and Ryan and Troy entered, bickering loudly.

'_So what else is new?' _Chad sat up.

"Just keep her away from me, okay?" Troy said, flicking his long, brown hair out of his face. Ryan pressed his hands to his hips in a manner that resembled Sharpay's usual stance.

'_Oh no. What did she do this time?'_

"I'm not her keeper. Just because we shared the same womb doesn't mean that we're attached at the hip! If you want her to stop bothering you, you should talk to her yourself," he replied haughtily, not unlike his sister.

Troy gasped exasperatingly and crossed his arms angrily under his protruding chest. Chad still wondered what the boy did to make it look like that. He had never actually seen him get dressed. He even slept in girls clothes and wore makeup and even matching bras and panties, a fact that the cabin had discovered when a set had gone missing and turned up in Zeke's laundry hamper.

During the course of the last few days, Chad had come to realize that Troy couldn't possibly be at this camp for crossdressing. It was just too juvenile. However, Ryan had often implied that that was the reason, and no one else seemed to question the fact. Troy himself seemed quite content to let everyone believe he was nothing more than a great big crossdresser.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? It'd be another chance for Sharpay to humiliate me in front of the entire camp!" Troy exclaimed irritably.

"Believe me. You don't need any help there, Helen. I don't think the camp can think any less of you than they already do," Ryan bit back.

Troy's eyes widened disbelievingly, while Jason and Zeke 'oohed' simultaneously in the background. Chad rolled his eyes, but privately he agreed with Ryan. Nothing Sharpay could say or do would erase the fact that Troy willingly dressed in women's clothing. However, he jumped off his bed rapidly when he saw Troy take a menacing step toward the other boy, clenched fists at his sides.

Chad knew who would win in a fight between the two if blows were traded. While Ryan may have had a more biting vocabulary, he physically couldn't compare to the other boy. While Troy may wear dresses and makeup, he was tall and muscled and strong, whereas Ryan could barely lift his own suitcase by himself.

"You take that back," he gritted out between clenched teeth, voice low and menacing. Chad hoped Ryan heeded the boy's warning, but inwardly shook his head at himself when the blonde stepped forward challengingly.

'_What was I thinking? Of course, he won't back down. He's an Evans. Confrontation is in his blood.' _Chad spotted Zeke and Jason get up from their positions out of the corner of his eye, most likely preparing to pull the two boys apart should fists start flying.

"No," Ryan intoned, voice turning icy and eyes narrowing. "You need to learn that the world doesn't revolve around you, Mr. I Can't Possibly Look More Like a Tool Than When Wearing a Dress."

Troy lunged at the blonde.

Zeke rushed forward and grabbed his shoulders, yanking him backwards, just as Chad wrapped his arm across the smaller boy's torso, pulling him back against his chest to halt his forward momentum. A brief struggle ensued before Ryan seemed to realize that Chad wasn't going to be releasing him any time soon. He stilled in Chad's arms, and lowered his head, willing his breath to slow, as he glared at Troy from underneath his dark green newsboy cap. The other boy twisted in Zeke's arms, straining to get free, but the taller boy had already worked an arm around the crossdresser's waist and lifted him up, causing Troy to kick and flail his legs, his long skirt doing more to impede his movement than anything else.

"Come on, guys," Zeke implored breathlessly, as Jason jumped and fretted worryingly behind him. "There's no use fighting about it."

Troy made an indignant noise high in his throat, as if he highly disagreed with Zeke's words.

"You need to chill out, Troy. Sharpay isn't going to let up on you, even if Ryan could convince her to listen. And I'm sure Ryan didn't mean what he said. He was just acting in the heat of the moment."

Chad slapped his hand down over Ryan's mouth, as the boy opened it, most likely to declare that every word he had uttered should be written down for future prosperity or something similarly silly.

'_Just keep your mouth shut for once in your life, and you might live to see your precious sun tomorrow morning.'_

Ryan generally was a friendly person. He greeted everyone with a smile, whether they liked him or not, and was comfortable beginning a conversation with even the most introverted people in the camp. However, he seemed to have a particular dislike for Troy, often making backhanded comments to rile him up and overlooking him in favor of someone else. Chad knew that both boys had a history at the camp, but from what he'd inferred, they had never really interacted all that much, so Chad could only speculate at his less than forthcoming attitude towards the other boy.

Troy finally wrested himself free of Zeke's grasp, but turned to stand by his bed rather than attack Ryan, so Chad felt it was okay to let his own captive go free. Troy glared at nothing in particular as he straightened his skirt and blouse and patted over his hair, all the while muttering angrily to himself.

"Like I care what he says. He wouldn't dare stand up to Sharpay. She'd probably withhold sex from him."

Ryan gasped loudly, and the whole room went quiet. Chad's eyes widened at Troy, sitting on his bed calmly with his legs crossed and arms folded. After a few moments of silence, Ryan turned on his heel and stormed out of the cabin.

"Dude," Zeke said, pretty much summing up Chad's own thoughts.

"He's such a prima donna," Troy complained, turning his nose away and acting for all the world like his own brand of great big drama queen.

'_I've passed the point of no return. Any attempts at normalcy are now completely useless. I am surrounded by people who act as if they're living one big soap opera.'_

"So…" Jason spoke up for the first time since the whole ordeal began. "Anyone up for a game of basketball?"

Chad groaned inwardly.

"I'm in!" Troy replied, jumping up from his spot on the bed. Zeke smiled and grabbed a ball, heading out the door with the other two in tow.

"Coming, Chad?" he asked belatedly, holding the door open for the other boy. Chad sighed and rolled his eyes.

'_If you can't beat them, join them,' _he told himself as he followed the others out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Ryan couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He took a moment to rub his eyes, but no, the scene hadn't changed. Chad was smiling.

After stomping out of the cabin earlier, he had headed over to cabin seven, seeking out the comfort of some civilized humans. When he got there, he found the cabin locked and deserted, so he wandered around until he finally came across his sister holding court with the other girls by the lake, dressed in nothing but a skimpy white bikini.

"Nice look, Shar. I'll make sure to place an ad in The Newport Daily. Job wanted. Talents: dressing like a cheap hooker. You'll be sure to have a winning clientele."

"Funny," Sharpay scowled at him over the rims of her sunglasses as he approached.

The other girls greeted Ryan warmly, all in various states of dress that could be deemed suitable for sunbathing, or whatever else they were trying to accomplish sitting by the lake in the middle of the day. Kelsi waved cheerfully at him and patted the spot beside her enthusiastically. Ryan sat gratefully, and allowed her to entwine her arm around his. He surveyed the girls in front of him as they quickly returned to their previous discussion.

They had formed a circle, more or less, with Sharpay dominating the central area. Kelsi was spread out on a blanket beside her, Gabi and Taylor on her other side, with Martha rounding out the circle.

Ryan turned to observe the two girls sitting beside him. Gabriella was talking to her friend enthusiastically, her hands making grand gestures as she illustrated her point. Taylor, on the other hand, was staring down at her towel, running her hands over it every five seconds, no doubt trying to smooth out nonexistent wrinkles.

Shar was prattling on to Kelsi about something or other, often pausing to stare pointedly at the smaller girl who would nod encouragingly at her, before grinning at Ryan mischievously. Martha seemed to be dozing off, mostly likely due to her medication, but Ryan felt it would be wise if someone woke her up before her skin started to burn. He started abruptly when he heard his name called from his right.

Gabriella giggled prettily.

"What are you doing hanging with us girls, Ryan? I thought there were more alluring creatures to hold your interest back at the cabin."

Ryan sighed and put on his most long-suffering face for the girl.

"Helen was giving me trouble. She seems to believe that she is better than me since she obviously can attract both sides of the population. You know, men and freaks." Taylor and Gabi dissolved into giggles. Kelsi patted Ryan's head consolingly while he pouted.

"You poor baby," she intoned.

"Yes, it's all very tragic," Ryan agreed.

"Oh, please," Sharpay scoffed, rolling her eyes. Ryan made a face at her and wrapped his arms possessively around Kelsi.

"You're the only one that understands my pain, Kels. It's so very hard being me when Helen is woman enough for the both of us. I could never compare!" Gabriella fell over in hysterics, Taylor on top of her, gasping for breath.

"Troy is woman enough for the whole camp!" she managed between chuckles. Kelsi rubbed Ryan's back soothingly.

"That's alright, sweet thing. You just come back with me to bed. By the time I'm done with you, Troy won't stand a chance with those boys." Ryan nodded his head in acquiescence.

"Make me a real woman, Kelsi," he replied, grabbing her by the forearm. "I trust only you." By this time, Gabi and Taylor's laughter had woken up the slumbering Martha, who stared drowsily at the group, blinking in confusion.

"Really, Ryan," Sharpay admonished. "If you're going to behave that way, you might as well just get a sex change. It would probably be a vast improvement."

Ryan lifted his head from its position on Kelsi's shoulder, expression one of pure outrage.

"I resent that!" he declared. "I happen to feel that any comparison to Helen is a direct and demeaning insult. I'd never want to humiliate myself so blatantly."

"Then you obviously need to revamp your wardrobe. Really, Ryan. That shade of blue with royal green? You're slipping." Ryan's hand went self-consciously to his head and he frowned to himself.

"I didn't even notice," he replied. Ryan's mood dropped significantly in the next few moments. Gabriella exchanged a look with Taylor before she jumped to her feet and pulled him up as well.

"Well, come on then. I'll walk you back to your cabin and you can change." Ryan looked up at her through lowered lashes, and smiled briefly when beamed at him. He nodded his head agreeably.

"We'll see you all later!" she said in farewell to the others before starting off, hand still comfortingly holding Ryan's. The two walked in easy silence back to his cabin, just enjoying each other's company. Ryan could relate to Gabriella in the sense that neither had ever had a serious relationship. She never judged him for being a flirt with every person he came across, male or female, and he didn't begrudge her when she was so far gone that she had no idea what she was doing. Besides, Gabriella was so sweet the rest of the time. She was such a lovely girl. They had bonded over the previous summer when Shar hadn't been around to dull the ache of loneliness.

The walk back had been so quiet and peaceful that it had been somewhat of a shock when the pair had entered the cabin to encounter a bunch of rambunctious boys, hyped up on energy, practically bouncing off the walls.

Ryan was frozen in shock, hand still entwined with Gabriella's, mouth slightly open and eyes fixed across the room on the teen he had spent so much time and effort on getting to express himself. Said boy was currently standing on top of Jason's bed, sweating and smiling for all he was worth as he tossed a basketball to Troy on the other side of the room. The boy in drag jumped from his spot on the floor and caught the ball, skirt fluttering as he came down and landed heavily on his toes, somehow managing to not fall over in the process. He halted abruptly when he saw the pair at the door, Ryan staring stupidly and Gabriella smiling brightly at the boys.

His adrenaline high suddenly came down, and he scowled angrily at Ryan, who didn't even seem to notice, preoccupied as he was with staring at Chad.

'_Wow,'_ was pretty much all that was going through his head. Ryan took in Chad's flushed appearance, from his windswept hair to his eyes, happy and bright. But his eyes kept zeroing back onto that upturned mouth.

Ryan fell hard.

His breath caught in his throat, and it was all he could do to stop himself from falling over and embarrassing himself. He tried to swallow, but couldn't quite manage to get around the lump that had formed in his throat. The only thing keeping him grounded was Gabriella's hand, wrapped tight around his. He was sure she could feel his quickened heart rate, but he couldn't bring himself to care so much as he tried to get his emotions back under control.

Since he had first set his eyes on the other boy, all lovely and drenched with water from head to toe, he had known that there was something different about him. He had given Chad the once-over multiple times since he had arrived and taken to him immediately, offering to show him the camp and taking any chance to talk to him, but it had all been just so he could appreciate the teen's physical attributes all the more.

However… that smile. That smile was enough to cause a fluttering in his stomach and a weakening in his knees. It reduced him to nothing more than a puddle of fluff. He wanted to jump over the edge and never get back up.

Ryan knew, right at that moment, that this summer was going to be one hell of a ride.


	8. Chapter 8

Chad couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun. For that matter, he couldn't remember the last time he had smiled the way he was right now. His face literally ached from smiling so much, something he hadn't done for more than three years. He hadn't thought that a simple game of basketball would cause him to act this way, but as soon as the ball had reached his hands, it was like a wall had broken down around him. It was as if all those years of not playing had disappeared the moment the game had started.

He had been a bit wary of playing two-on-two with Troy against Jason and Zeke, but as it turned out, they creamed the other boys. Troy was awesome. Chad had to wonder how well the boy could play if he was that good while wearing a skirt and heels. He could only get better once he was wearing proper clothes, right?

'_Or would he get worse? Does Troy even own any normal clothes? Would taking him out of a dress just mess him up?'_

Either way, Chad was so pumped up on adrenaline, not even the arrival of Ryan and Gabriella could bring him down, though Troy seemed to feel differently. The two were standing in the doorway, hands clasped, and smiling at the boys scattered around the room in various states of disarray. Well, Gabriella was smiling, at least. Ryan couldn't seem to figure out what to make of the scene before him, if his wide-eyed staring was any indication.

'_And that's another thing. What's with Ryan always being all touchy-feely with the girls? Can this guy not decide on his orientation or something?'_

Chad had seen Ryan flirt with almost every person in the camp, be they male, female, or adult. Sometimes, he was one hundred percent sure that Ryan was a flaming homosexual, but then there would be times when he doubted himself. Like right now. Chad knew that gays tended to be good friends with girls. _'What are they called again? Fag hags? Why would any girl want to be called something like that?'_ But Ryan seemed to have this ambiguity thing going for him. He used it all the time, especially when he was lying, to throw people off, and it worked. Chad couldn't have been more confused.

"Hey!" Zeke called over to Gabriella. "What are you doing in our neck of the woods? You're not doing the thing with Sharpay?" Gabriella smiled at Zeke in greeting.

"What thing? There's supposed to be a thing? Why haven't I heard of this?"

"Well, you know." Zeke waved his hands vaguely around. "Doesn't she usually have a thing going where you guys are there and you sit and do stuff?"

'_Huh? She does?'_ Gabriella giggled sweetly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She lifted her hand, the one that was grasping Ryan's. "Just helping Ryan pick out a new outfit. What do you think, Ryan? White to match Sharpay?" She looked over at the blond, saw that he was still incapable of speech, and tugged him over to his bed, beaming the whole time. She released his hand, and he quickly sat on the bed, while she rummaged around in his top two drawers where he kept all his hats.

Troy stared at the pair incredulously and looked around at the others guys, as if wondering why none of them saw anything wrong with this. Jason shrugged at him. Troy sputtered helplessly for a few seconds before turning back to Gabriella.

"Do you have to do that?" he asked her, gesturing at the white and gold hat she held in one hand and the sky blue cap in the other.

"Do what?" she blinked at him innocently. Troy looked like he couldn't decide whether to sigh at her or blow up in her face. He stepped back and took a deep breath, steadying himself before trying once more.

"Why does he need you to walk back with him? Can't he choose his own clothes? I mean, he's not a little kid. He doesn't need to be… coddled or whatever." Troy waved his hands around randomly once more, as if that helped explain. Gabriella looked at him as if that was the stupidest thing she had ever heard. He turned to Chad.

"Right, Chad?" Chad reeled back in surprise.

'_What? Dude. I don't know.' _He gave Troy a look. _'What's up with Ryan?'_

The blond boy glanced up right at the moment, as if in response to Chad's thoughts. He stared up at the two hats Gabriella held in her hands and promptly blanched.

"Gabriella. Honey," he said, standing up and taking both hats from her, replacing them in the drawer. Troy bit his lip in anger. "What were you thinking? Those won't do at all. They're not nearly fabulous enough." He reached into his drawer and pulled out a grey fedora with glittering pinstripes.

"Now, this. This is just what we're looking for," he declared, proudly holding up his find for the room to see. Gabriella smiled happily, causing Chad to grin himself. The blond swept the cap he was wearing off his head, and replaced it with the new one, before taking Gabi's hand and twirling her once around the room. Jason and Zeke shrugged at each other before grabbing the ball Troy had abandoned on the floor and resuming their previous activity. Troy glowered at the wall and sat huffily on his bed.

Chad jumped down from his position and went to join the boy in drag, watching Ryan spin Gabriella once more before bowing deeply.

"Thank you graciously for the dance, milady." The giggling girl curtsied in turn.

"It was my pleasure, gentle sir." Ryan straightened and turned to look at Chad, quirking the side of his mouth up when he met his eyes.

Chad flashed him a grin, and he swore he saw a flicker of something cross on Ryan's face before it disappeared. Chad cocked an eyebrow, but the blond missed it, as he picked up Gabriella by the waist and spun her around in the air.

"Ready for the counseling sessions tomorrow, silly girl?" he asked her, smiling.

All activity in the room halted, but for the pair whirling around.

'_Counseling sessions?'_ Chad panicked, looking over at Troy who was staring at Ryan in shock.

A pair of groans came from the other side of the room, and Chad sighed in despair. There went his adrenaline high.


	9. Chapter 9

Ryan waved farewell to Kelsi and leaned against the wall opposite of Masters' door. He would have just walked in, but he wanted to give Gabi the leisure of privacy. Some people actually used these sessions for their own improvement. Ryan wasn't one of those people, and Masters knew that. He only agreed to the sessions for one purpose and one alone. To talk the counselor's head off.

He hummed a tune to himself while he waited and thought about his parents.

'_I really should give mom a call soon. She'll want to know how Shar's doing.'_

He closed his eyes and let his mind wander to other things, specifically Chad. Ever since that game of basketball, which Ryan was most displeased at missing, the boy had opened up to the guys in their cabin. He was still as quiet as before, but his emotions played across his face so openly. Ryan secretly thought it made Chad all the more attractive and not just in a physical way, though Ryan had no complaints there.

Chad was something else. He was just like any other teenage boy Ryan had come into contact with, but amplified so that he glowed a thousand times brighter. It may have just been the fact that Chad never spoke a word, but Ryan liked to think there was something else to it. After all, he had noticed Chad before he had known that he didn't talk. What were words anyway?

'_You don't need them to communicate. They're just a convenience. Chad has obviously gotten along without them.'_

Ryan wondered for a moment what it would be like to never say another word again. He shuddered. That just reinforced his belief that Chad wasn't like other people. To give up words completely was not something most people were willing to do. Ryan knew he wasn't. He smiled to himself. He was glad that Chad had at least decided to show people what he was feeling. The rush of pleasure Ryan got from his smile was better than any other feeling he had ever experienced. It made him want to be around Chad all the time, to learn everything about him, and to be the recipient of that wonderful smile.

Unfortunately, Troy was most often the one who Chad flashed his smile at. The two seemed to have formed a bond, over basketball of all things, and it had only been one day since the alleged game. Such was the environment while at summer camp. Friendships formed so quickly. Yet already Ryan felt like an outsider when around them. It was as if they had discovered they were long lost brothers and now spent every moment attached at the hip so as to make up for lost time. And Ryan really didn't want to think about Chad being attached to Troy in any way, shape, or form.

Loud laughter interrupted his less than pleasant thoughts, and the two boys turned the corner at the end of the hall, walking in Ryan's direction. Troy had a brotherly arm wrapped around Chad's shoulders which was a rather impressive feat considering that he looked like a really ugly girl at the moment. Chad was supporting a basketball on his hip and giving Troy his mega-watt smile.

Ryan scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. He took a deep breath and settled his features into an unassuming expression. He resumed humming. When the boys finally registered his presence, Ryan flashed them a small grin. Troy glared at him and walked on, Chad following behind, absentmindedly nodding at Ryan in greeting. Ryan frowned.

'_Well, fine! I don't care! Just keep walking.'_ He huffed angrily, before slumping back against the wall.

"You're always on display for everyone to watch and learn from. Don't you know by now? You can't turn back because this road is all you'll ever have," he sang softly to himself, not noticing when Chad turned back to stare at him before walking through the doors at the other end of the hall.

Ryan stared at the ground moodily until Gabriella burst through the counselor's door in anger. He straightened up and put on his best "I'm here for you" face. She stomped towards him, but stopped in the middle of the hall, leaving him to push off the wall to close the distance between them. She looked down quickly and hunched her shoulders. Ryan wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close, humming soothingly. After a few seconds, she hugged back before stepping away from him, blinking rapidly and smiling weakly.

"Hey, sunshine," Ryan smiled softly. "Wanna wait for me in the rec room? When I'm done here, we can get all dolled up and start breaking some hearts. Whadya' say?" She giggled quietly and smiled brightly at him, nodding her head.

"That's my girl. Now, off you go. I have some business to take care of with daddy before we can go play." He slapped her lightly on the back when she gave him a mischievous grin, sticking out her tongue. He pointed down the hall in the direction Chad and Troy had just disappeared to. She rolled her eyes, but obeyed leaving Ryan to turn to face the open door of Masters office. Said man was standing just inside the doorway, watching Ryan with a serious expression on his face.

"Mr. Evans," he intoned, gesturing the blond inside.

"Brandon!" Ryan replied cheerfully, walking up to the man and placing a friendly hand on his forearm. "Must we always go through the formalities? You know how I wish you'd call me, Ryan."

"Ryan," Mr. Masters replied, shrugging Ryan's hand off and turning to walk back to his desk. "Come inside and close the door."

"So forceful," Ryan said cheekily, but did as he was bidden.

"So what's on the agenda today, doc?" Ryan asked, dropping into the chair in front of Mr. Masters' desk. The man looked up at Ryan from his seat. He shuffled some papers around on his desk to give the illusion of being busy, then propped his elbows up on the surface and stared pointedly at Ryan.

"I see you've been getting along with Miss Montez. Do you like her?"

"Gabi? She's a lovely girl. What's not to like about her?"

"I mean, do you feel that you've developed some type of feelings for her?"

"Gee, I don't know, Brandon. We're both so young. I don't want to start thinking about that kind of commitment yet, you know? Think of all the other young girls just waiting to be wooed to their knees by the mere presence of me. I wouldn't want to disappoint."

Masters stared at Ryan over the rims of his glasses, trying to gauge if Ryan was being truthful or not.

"You wouldn't want to lead her on, Ryan."

"Oh, Gabi knows I'm not the relationship type, Brandon. Don't you worry about it. She's not the type to get possessive. Now, Shar on the other hand. You should have seen what happened to the last guy who didn't commit fully. I feel so sorry for him. It was such a lovely car."

"Yes, how is your sister getting along?"

"Oh, Shar's doing fine. She easily adapts to any given situation, you know. Though, she might be frightfully bored out of her mind. It must be so hard for her. Our mother wasn't too pleased about her coming this year, but Dad insisted. He said it would be good for her to get out of the house and meet new people, you know. And Shar has been so great about it all, really." Ryan sat up from his relaxed position in the chair. "Oh, I'm sorry. Am I talking too much? Did you want to ask any other questions?"

Masters readjusted his glasses, and cleared his throat.

"That's alright, Ryan. Actually—"

"Oh, good. I don't want to be a bother. Mother made me promise not to harass the staff this year, and I do try my hardest, but sometimes, it's like I can't stop myself from talking. Which is quite ironic, isn't it? Seeing that now that Chad is here, there is one less voice to add to the uproar. He's a wonderful guy though. A real charmer. Loves to draw. And very good at basketball. Have you met him?"

"No, actually. I have yet to. Why don't you tell me abou—"

"Oh, well I'm sure Helen will fill you in on everything. They have become best friends, you know. I think it's wonderful that two people with such differences can overcome a language barrier like that, don't you? After all, Helen must have been disappointed when she had to come back this summer. I'm sure it's a lot better now that she has someone with common interests to share the experience with. Not that Chad likes to wear dresses, mind you. I mean they have a similar like for sports. And I don't think that Helen really draws all that much, but I'm sure they have other things in common."

"I'm sure they do," Masters interrupted. "But why don't we switch the topic, Ryan? How about you? How have you been doing? This is your sixth summer here, right?"

"That's right. I was so excited to come back, you know. I really missed seeing all of the staff's familiar faces everyday. But it makes the school year pass by so much faster, knowing that I have something to come back to every summer. I'm really glad you joined us last time, Brandon. You have been my favorite counselor by far. Not to say anything against Mrs. Radcliffe, but she was getting a bit on in the years, you know? She just couldn't connect to the kids the same way you do."

"Thank you, Ryan. That means a lot."

"Of course, Brandon! You are part of the family now! I know the rest of the staff join me in saying we hope you'll stick around for next summer."

"And why do you say that, Ryan?"

"Say what? That I hope you'll be here next summer? Well, of course I want you to be here! I've come to enjoy these sessions of ours so much."

"Yes, Ryan. That's very flattering. But why do you think you'll be here next year?" For a split second, there was silence, then Ryan regained his composure.

"Well, I come every year. Why would I stop? I wouldn't want to break tradition," Ryan replied a touch too lightly.

"But don't you think you'll get better and won't have to come back?"

"Oh, one can never tell with these things. You mustn't get your hopes up, Brandon. I'm sure you'll learn how it goes very quickly. It didn't take long for Mrs. Radcliffe to catch on." Ryan gestured with his left hand, waving at some vague reference in the air.

"Really? So you believe that you'll always be coming to this camp, Ryan?"

"I didn't say that." The boy stopped smiling.

"No, but you implied that you would."

"No, I didn't. I simply stated that it was difficult to tell." Ryan smiled once again, and swiftly tried to change the subject. "Haven't you ever—" However, Masters was unrelenting.

"Ryan. Don't you get tired of always saying things you don't mean?" A muscle twitched in Ryan's jaw.

"I'm not sure what you're—"

"It must be very tiring to not say what you're truly feeling. Have you ever tried to limit the things you say?"

"Excuse me?" Ryan replied, voice tightening slightly.

"Have you ever tried to simply not say anything every time you feel compelled to not speak the truth?"

Ryan stared at Masters with wide eyes, not sure what he was looking at. The man met his stare confidently. After a few moments in silence, the counselor cocked an eyebrow at the blond, as if to say, "Did you really think you were going to get away with it this time?"

Ryan shut down.

"Ryan?" Mr. Masters asked, standing up when he didn't get a reply from the boy. He reached out to put his hand on his shoulder, ready to start consoling.

Ryan gazed at the floor silently, his shoulders tense and unmoving. He took a few seconds before standing abruptly and striding forward, so that he was right in the man's face.

"Hey, Brandon?" he asked quietly, surprising the counselor who had expected an outburst of some kind.

"Ryan?" The blond stared down at his feet and shifted awkwardly. "What is it?"

"I… I think I might be in love with you," he confessed in a rush. Masters gasped and stared at Ryan in horror.

"Please… don't hate me," the boy continued. "I know I could never expect you to feel the same way, but I couldn't bare it if you couldn't stand to be around me. It's just that… last summer, I felt as if you were the only one who really understood me. And you always know just what to say. Like you can see right into my soul." Ryan looked up and gazed right into the older man's eyes.

"I just wanted you to know. I think I've known for a while now that I'm… gay. I just didn't want to say anything because I wasn't sure how you'd feel. I want us to still be able to talk. I just couldn't keep it a secret any longer. Not when you know. Know how I hate always lying to my family and friends. I'm trying to get better, Brandon. I really am! Just please say you don't hate me." The boy's face became one of desperation. Masters stared open-mouthed at him, absolute dread creeping up his spine. He struggled to find the right words.

"Ryan. I could never hate you. But I'm not… we can't… I'm just here to help you. There's nothing else. Do you understand?" Ryan blinked rapidly and smiled up at him.

"It's okay. I knew you could never. I'm just so glad that you don't hate me," he responded in a relieved tone. The man shook his head at the boy.

"Of course not."

Ryan smiled up at him once more, tears in his eyes, and Masters glanced away quickly.

"I think it's best if we end our session here for today. You must want to get some rest."

Ryan nodded agreeably and went to open the door. He turned back to the counselor before leaving and smiled once again.

"Thank you… for understanding." The man acknowledged his words with a wave, and Ryan strode out of the room. After a few paces down the hall, he grinned and stuck his tongue out at nothing in particular.

'_That was just too easy.'_


	10. Chapter 10

Troy had left Chad with his notebook in the rec room and went off to the showers to "freshen" himself up after their game of one-on-one earlier. While they two had developed a close bond, Chad didn't think they had become so close as to justify showering together. Plus, Chad didn't want to be a first-hand witness of Troy's blatant gender identity issues. So he had curled up on one of the mismatching couches and flipped to a previous sketch he hadn't finished. One that he was quite insistent on making look good. One that just so happened to be of Ryan.

Which was frustrating Chad to no end. He didn't understand why he had become so engrossed in drawing the blond boy, but he just couldn't stop himself. And he was never satisfied with the result. It was like he was always missing something. Like an essential piece of Ryan was being left out of his drawings, and he couldn't quit until he had discovered just what that was.

At some point Gabriella had wandered in and sat down nearby with an mp3 player, but not so close that Chad felt he was being observed. He didn't want any of the others to discover how much of a fixation he had on the male Evans twin. Not when he had yet to discover what that meant about himself.

'_You're being paranoid. It's just an artistic fascination for your subject,'_ he told himself. _'If I could just catch him at a moment when he's not moving around so much, I'd be able to get it right.'_

Earlier, Chad had waged an internal war, trying not to run for his notebook when he had passed the boy in the hall. He had walked by and pretended not to notice the casual position Ryan had assumed and how natural and still he had looked in that one moment.

Chad frowned at his notebook angrily and flipped to a clean page, furiously sketching a rough outline of Ryan's stance from his memory.

He hadn't been able to stop himself from turning around to glance at the boy when he had heard the soft singing from behind him.

'_Because this road is all you'll ever have. Where have I heard that before?'_ Chad lifted his pencil from the paper and thought for a moment before resuming his motions. He could swear he had heard those lyrics before, but he couldn't quite recall the song or where he had heard it from. He tried to puzzle it out in his mind, still steadily sketching out Ryan's form.

'_It's a sad song. I think. But it has an upbeat rhythm. Alternative? Or something like that? Damn. What are the lyrics? …don't you know by now? You can't turn back because this road is all you'll ever have. And…. and…'_

"And it's obvious that you're dying, dying."

'_That's it! Wait.'_ Chad turned to look at Gabriella. _'How did she know—'_

The girl had her eyes closed and was nodding her head to the music coming from her mp3 player, singing softly along to the words. She seemed to be totally unaware of Chad watching her or that he had been thinking about that very same song.

"And oh, oh, open wide. 'Cuz this is your night, so smile." Suddenly, she opened her eyes and turned to look at Chad, as if she had felt his gaze upon her. She met his gaze and smiled apologetically.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chad. Was I bothering you?" The boy shook his head at her and shifted his gaze to stare at the red player in her hands. She looked down as well, then lifted it up and held it for Chad to see.

"It's "Fences" by Paramore. Ryan was humming it earlier, and it made me want to listen, you know?" She smiled sweetly at him.

'_You know?'_ Chad stared at the girl and wondered how much time she had been spending with Ryan. _'And why is it that I'm suddenly noticing his mannerisms in other people?'_ Chad shook himself internally.

Something must have shown on his face because suddenly Gabriella had shifted closer and was offering her player to him.

"Did you want to listen? I don't know if you've ever heard the song before, but it's pretty good. It makes me think of Ryan whenever I hear it." Chad started to move back in protest, but stopped when he noticed the earnest expression on the girl's face. He sighed, but accepted the red device and put on the small headphones when she nodded encouragingly at him. He sat back against the couch's cushions and reset the song, listening to the opening sequence before the female singer joined in.

He closed his eyes and let the song wash over him. The lyrics were sad, but it was sung in such a way that suggested the person was fighting. For what, he wasn't sure. Chad took a deep breath and tried to take in everything the song was portraying, but the only thing that he could think of was Ryan. Somehow, Gabriella was right. This song was about Ryan. But he didn't know why he thought that. He didn't really know all that much about Ryan. He had spent some time with the blond the first few days of camp, and Ryan had been constantly talking. He was always bringing up his family and where he had grown up (somewhere in Rhode Island if Chad remembered correctly), but he never seemed to say anything of particular significance, or nothing that Chad thought could be believed.

"'Cuz you'll go out in style." When the song came to an end, he reset it again, wanting to hear it once more. He glanced briefly at Gabriella, a slight twinge of guilt crossing his features, but the girl just smiled cheerfully at him and sat back, slightly leaning into him, but not in way that was intrusive, so he allowed it. Chad briefly thought that Gabriella was a really sweet girl before he returned his concentration to the song.

The more he listened, the more he thought that the words were describing Ryan. Something about the way Ryan presented himself in front of others was illustrated by the words of the singer. Chad was struck by a sudden vision, and he immediately opened his notebook to the sketch he had just started and set to work, the song still playing in his ears. Gabriella didn't try to pry into what he was doing. She just relaxed further into the couch and contented herself with the quiet.

But Chad paid no attention to her. He was too busy trying to get down exactly what he had seen in his mind from listening to the song. He wasn't exactly sure what it was himself, but he let his hands do the work and sketch out whatever it was he had thought of. His excitement was increasing with each brush his pencil made across the paper. He felt like he was close. Close to understanding what had been missing from his drawings before. Like the mystery that was Ryan Evans was about to be unfolded right before his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, well you're just a mess. You do all this big talking. So now let's see you walk it. I said let's see you walk it." Chad nodded absently to himself, moving in time with the beat, so he didn't notice when Ryan entered the room and started towards the pair sitting down. However, he did notice when the girl beside him sat up and waved cheerfully. He looked up from his sketch and reeled back in surprise when he saw Ryan walking towards him.

"Hey, Gabi," he smiled. "Chad," he greeted warmly, eyes twinkling brightly. He glanced down at the notebook in Chad's hands and stepped forward eagerly.

"Oh, hey. Are you doing a sketch? Can I see?"

Chad jumped back in horror.

'_No!'_ he screamed internally, crushing the notebook possessively against his body. The blond stopped in his tracks. His smile disappeared and his eyes darkened, some indiscernible emotion crossing his features, before he recovered and smiled tightly.

"Ah. I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd mind." His expression was obviously forced. Chad immediately felt guilty. He swallowed heavily. He had never let anyone see his sketches. They were private. It was something he had initially started to relieve the absolute boredom that had taken up his life, but had gradually become increasingly important to him, so that it was as if his drawings were somehow a part of him. And he didn't want to share that part with anyone. But seeing Ryan's fake smile and knowing he had put it there left an uneasy feeling in his gut. He shifted his gaze between Gabriella and the blond, both averting their eyes from his face and not talking. He stood up abruptly and ripped the headphones off, throwing the mp3 player at Gabi who was still sitting in the spot she had taken up near him. She tensed uncomfortably and looked up at him with stress evident in her eyes. He growled, frustrated, and fled the room, leaving an uncomfortable atmosphere in wake behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

Another two days passed where Ryan stayed away from Chad, who seemed to be spending all his free time with Troy and doing his part to keep away from Ryan as well. When they're weren't stuck doing the various activities the camp had set up for them, Chad was playing basketball with the guys or sketching quietly in a corner. However, he quickly removed himself from the area whenever Ryan was within twenty feet of him.

It had already been five days since 'The Incident' as Ryan had dubbed it in his mind. The blond spent all his time hanging with the girls. He had briefly considered moving out of the cabin and back into his old one, but thought that that would be a bit too obvious in showing that something was wrong. Plus, he didn't want to make up another excuse as to why he wanted to move out after he had made such a fuss the first time.

Thus, he forced himself to wake up early, which was a feat in itself considering that Ryan never willingly woke up before eleven thirty if he had to, and slipped into the girls' cabin to spend the rest of the morning there before Crafts at nine o'clock. Sharpay was always up early, getting ready for the day. She had cocked an eyebrow questioningly at him the first time he had gone over, but had thankfully kept her thoughts to herself.

The rest of the girls were quite happy to receive him and often made good use of his advice while they prepared for the day as well. Ryan knew that is was painfully obvious that he was avoiding hanging around the guys, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It seemed as Chad had had the same thoughts in mind, and the other boys didn't question Ryan's disappearance as they had all decided to rally around Troy as their leader, and he couldn't be happier that Ryan wasn't hanging around.

However, even though Ryan made himself as scarce as possible, he couldn't stop his thoughts from centering around Chad and the way he smiled… and the way he had pulled away when Ryan had tried to see his sketches.

That was a particularly depressing thought. One that often had Kelsi or Gabriella latching onto his arm when they noticed his mood and promptly distracting him with various activities, ranging from dressing up and dancing around to sneaking Gabi's smuggled pills away from her and disposing of them and keeping Kelsi from jumping his bones or those of any of the other boys for that matter.

Ryan appreciated their efforts, but nothing could seem to keep his mind off Chad. The more time he spent away from the boy, the more he wanted to be around him, making him smile and getting to know him and what his interests were, aside from basketball and drawing. He was particularly upset that Chad had found something to connect with Troy and the other guys in basketball, but was disappointingly distanced from Ryan. The blonde honestly hadn't meant to upset him, but he had so wanted to be able to connect with Chad as well, and had thought his drawings would be a link to that. Obviously, the dark-skinned boy disagreed.

Ryan slumped against the headboard of Sharpay's bed and gazed at his sister as she applied her mascara carefully, unseeing. His mind wandered towards more pleasant thoughts of Chad, namely the two of them pressed together, Chad pushing him up against a wall, licking and biting at his neck. In his mind, Chad was aggressive and knew exactly what to do. He pressed himself between Ryan's thighs and thrust, latching on to Ryan's earlobe and tugging gently, making him moan.

Ryan stifled a whimper and glanced quickly at the girls making themselves up. He shifted his position and attracted the attention of Kelsi, who took that moment to wander over and jump on Ryan happily. Sharpay scowled at the girl, but continued applying her makeup, so Ryan figured it was okay to wrap his arms around the smaller girl and hold her close.

"What's wrong, Ryan?" she asked kindly, fingering his collarbone through his bright yellow button-down. Ryan snatched the girl's wandering hands and held them tightly, ensuring no escape.

"Oh, it's nothing," he intoned dramatically, taking on his playful voice. "Just thinking about my beloved back in Rhode Island. Did you know, Kelsi? I've been betrothed since birth." The girl gasped in shock, playing along. Ryan nodded sorrowfully at her. "Yes, it's true. Our parents decided before we were born that we were to be wed once the two of us came of age. However, I had never wanted to get married to her. That is… until last fall. She transferred to my school, and I fell deeply in love with her. And now it hurts whenever we're apart. I so long for the day when I can hold her in my arms and know that she is mine. Oh, my sweet Rebecca. How I miss you." Ryan sighed tragically and collapsed back against the bed, Kelsi still on top of him, and started sobbing melodramatically.

"Oh, you poor, poor thing," Kelsi consoled. "It's alright. Just lay there and relax and let Kelsi take care of you." The small girl stroked Ryan's face lovingly before letting her hands wander down his body, stopping at his belt and attempting to tug it loose. Ryan sat up quickly, unseating Kelsi from her position and grabbing her hands, pulling the girl close to him.

"No, Kelsi. You mustn't. I could never betray my Rebecca like that. Oh, how she must feel, back in Rhode Island, all alone without her loving fiancé to comfort her from the troubles she must be enduring while I'm away." The blond pressed his cheek against Kelsi's, and the two of them stared off into the distance beyond Sharpay's head.

Said girl finished applying her lip gloss and turned to the pair sprawled across her bed, glaring at them with her brown eyes.

"Jesus, Ryan. Can't you even make a convincing argument? Or do you always use our housekeeper as your love interest in your stories?" The boy gasped hurtfully at her.

"My love for Rebecca is pure. Age makes no difference."

Taylor and Martha laughed pleasantly from their spot on Gabi's bed. Sharpay packed up her makeup and stood to put it away in drawer.

"Yes, well, pure as your love may be, I doubt your beloved returns your affections, so I suggest you move on before you get to be her age."

Ryan turned to Kelsi and smiled at the giggling girl. "Darn," he told her.

Sharpay stood at the foot of the bed and crossed her arms over chest, cocking her eyebrow at her brother.

"Don't you think it's time you went back to your own cabin, Ryan?" she asked of him. Ryan stilled and turned to face her.

'_Crap.'_ This is what he had been avoiding. He smiled winningly at his sister.

"Tired of me already, Shar?" The girl rolled her eyes at him.

"No. I just think it's pathetic that you're so hung up on a guy who doesn't even talk."

Ryan shifted uncomfortably under her stare and was aware of the sudden quiet in the room.

"I'm not hung up," he replied defensively. "I just don't want to be around Helen's brainless bunch of groupies."

"Sure," his sister countered. "Especially the one with the ridiculous hair who runs whenever you're within a five mile radius of him."

'_I like his hair,'_ Ryan thought sullenly, but said nothing.

"I swear. I thought you'd have learned by now Ryan. Boys like that are trouble. Especially the ones who have problems worse than your own."

"It's nothing," Ryan replied. "Honestly." He had hoped that Shar would leave it alone, but that was obviously a wasted effort.

"Then, how about I go to Linderman and convince her to cancel all activities for the day, and we go into town and find you a nice toy."

Ryan bit the inside of his lip and stood, suddenly angry. Shar was always doing this. She always tried to make him feel like she knew what was best for him.

"Don't bother," he bit out and stalked out of the room, not even bothering to wave goodbye to the girls. He took off in the direction of the main building, trying to get as far away from Sharpay as possible.

He knew that his sister meant well. She always did, but this is why he had come to Camp HumuHumu for the previous five years without her. He needed to learn to be able to get on with his problem by himself, without her being there to coddle him or use her own methods to make things "better." Plus, he really didn't want her to tell him to stay away from Chad. He wasn't sure he'd be able to, despite the last few days.

Ryan slowed as he walked down the main corridor of the building, breathing deeply to calm himself down. He really shouldn't have stormed out like that. If nothing, it proved Sharpay was right about why he was avoiding Chad.

He continued walking down the hall, pausing when he passed Masters' office. The man's mild voice could be heard coming from inside the closed door.

'_Isn't Chad supposed to be meeting with Masters right now? If he doesn't talk, then I wonder what goes on in their sessions?'_ Ryan's curiosity got the better of him, and he stepped quietly up to the office door, pressing his ear against the wood. He could make out the counselor's voice, talking quietly, but he couldn't understand what he was saying. He shifted slightly closer, as if that would help him to hear better and strained his ears to make out the words.

'_If only I had x-ray vision or something,'_ he bemoaned to himself. Ryan knew he shouldn't be trying to spy on Chad's session. Whatever was being discussed was meant to be private, and Ryan knew Chad would despise him for knowing the details about his silence. But he couldn't seem to help himself. He wanted to know more about Chad, and if eavesdropping on his counseling sessions was the only way to do it, then he was prepared to reap the consequences.

He pressed himself up against the closed door, as much as was possible and held his breath, feeling his heartbeat pounding against his chest. There was a moment of silence, then Masters started up again, his voice a bit louder. Ryan thought he heard the words "grandfather" and "guilt," but he wasn't sure. He took a deep breath and held it again, listening with all his might.

'_What's this about Chad's grandfather?'_ he wondered and was about to take another breath when a curious voice came from behind him.

"What are you doing?"

Ryan whipped around and barely stopped himself from falling on the ground. He clutched at his chest and stared at the boy standing across from him with a confused look on his face, taking deep breaths.

"Oh my god, Jason. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" he gasped out, trying to slow his heart rate that was threatening to send him into cardiac arrest. The anorexic boy blinked dumbly at him and stepped forward curiously.

"Were you spying on Chad's session?" he asked, sounding like he didn't fully understand the meaning of his own words.

"What?" Ryan replied, thinking fast. "Of course not. No! Why would I do that?" Jason gave him a look as if he didn't believe him.

'_I thought you were supposed to be slow!'_ Ryan complained to himself angrily. He stepped up to Jason and took the boy's arm, leading him away from the door.

"I wasn't spying on Chad, Jason," Ryan replied calmly, now that he had his heart rate under control. "I was just checking on Masters to make sure that he was busy so he wouldn't catch me trying to escape." The other boy looked up at him in surprise.

"Escape?!" he exclaimed, having enough sense to lower his voice. He stared at Ryan in awe. "You know a way to bust out of here?" Ryan smiled at him, relieved. This was going to work.

"Of course," he answered, continuing down the hall with his hand wrapped around the other's bicep. "I've been here for five summers, Jason. Don't you think I'd have worked how to get out by now?"

"Well?" the boy replied, eagerness evident on his face. "How do you get out? Why does Masters need to be out of the picture?" Ryan led the boy out of the building and across the grounds, heading for their cabin.

"You know the service gate entrance that's right outside Masters' office?" he asked, looking around conspicuously to make sure nobody was around.

"Yeah," Jason nodded excitedly.

"Well, every Thursday at eight thirty a supply truck comes through that gate to drop off all the food for the week. But the thing is… they leave the gate open while they're unloading the truck, so that they don't have to open it again when they go back through. So I was thinking that next Thursday while everyone is busy unloading the truck, I could slip past them when they're not paying attention and head towards those houses on the other side of the lake where there's less activity. Then, I could get a hold of a phone book and call a taxi in the town just outside of the woods to come pick me up."

"Wow," Jason intoned, gazing at Ryan with admiration. Ryan smiled triumphantly.

'_Hook, line, and sinker.'_ However, his glory was short-lived when the boy uttered his next words.

"Dude, you have to take me with you!"

"What?!" Ryan exclaimed, already shaking his head in protest.

'_Crap, crap, crap!'_

"No way. It'd be more difficult to get away without getting caught if you came with me."

"Dude! Not cool," Jason complained.

"Tough luck," Ryan replied. "It'd be easier to find us if they were searching for two people, instead of one. We'd stand out more."

"Aw," Jason grumbled, looking down at his feet. "Not fair. This place really sucks." Ryan patted his back consolingly.

"Sorry, Jason. There's just no way. We'd get caught." Ryan quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

'_That was close,'_ he thought as he followed the other boy inside of the cabin where Troy was getting ready for his session with the counselor, and Zeke was quietly rifling through Ryan's drawers. The tall boy jumped back when the two entered, looking around guiltily. Ryan raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. Zeke shuffled back towards his bed, just at Jason collapsed onto his own and opened his mouth.

"Dude," he said, catching Zeke's attention. "You totally have to convince Ryan to take me with him when he escapes next Thursday." Both Zeke and Troy turned to look at the blond lounging against his bed.

"Escape?" they questioned simultaneously.

Ryan resisted the urge to smack himself and smiled weakly at the guys.

'_Aw, shit.'_


	12. Chapter 12

Chad was sitting in a boat floating on a lake under the moonlight while a mermaid swam leisurely around him. No, it was a merman, and more importantly, the merman was Ryan. Kelsi was there as well, and she was happily licking her way up Chad's stomach, while her hands were busy below, stroking his cock and thumbing the head. Chad was ridiculously aroused and yet all he could concentrate on was the lithe figure of Ryan swimming around him. Kelsi pressed her naked breasts against him and rubbed herself erotically against his body, her legs straddling one of his thighs. But Chad's eyes were locked on Ryan as he swam up to him and lifted himself up on the edge of the boat. His blue eyes were shining brightly at him in the moonlight, and the blond grinned beautifully, reaching one wet hand out to cup Chad's cheek in his palm. Chad moaned softly and leaned into the boy's hand, completely ignoring the girl who was slipping down his body to settle between his legs. The blond leaned forward and touched his forehead to Chad's, closing his eyes in delight. Chad whimpered and shifted closer, wanting more contact with the boy. The blue eyes opened and stared deeply into his own. Ryan expelled a breath and moved closer, smiling enticingly.

He was wakened from his weird, yet strangely pleasant dream by a weight settling on his bed. He blinked his eyes open sleepily and stared up at the figure sitting curled up at the foot of his bed.

'_Troy?'_ he wondered, recognizing the long hair and nightgown that were evident even in the dark. He groaned and shifted in his bed, trying to hide his aching erection from the other boy. What the hell had he been dreaming about?

He sat up against his headboard and rubbed at his eyes after making sure that his erection was completely hidden from the crossdresser. He didn't want Troy to get any ideas.

'_What the hell, Troy? It's the middle of the night!'_

The other boy stared at him in silence for a few moments before moving a bit closer.

"Sorry, Chad. I couldn't sleep," he said softly.

'_Obviously.'_

"I've been thinking." _'Don't try too hard. You might hurt yourself.'_ "About what Jason said earlier."

'_What? That dumb escape plan you guys were telling me about? Please.'_

Troy must have seen something on Chad's face because he moved even closer.

"No. I'm serious. What if it could actually work?" Chad stared at his friend like he was an idiot.

'_You've got to be kidding. You woke me up for this?'_

"Just hear me out, okay?" Troy pleaded, despite Chad's obvious distaste for the subject.

"Ryan told Jason that those supply trucks come once a week at eight thirty. Well, usually Masters is in a session at that time, so he wouldn't be paying any attention to what was going on around the service gate. He'd be too busy with one of the other kids." Chad rolled his eyes and sighed, but kept listening. He was already awake anyway. Plus, his boner had long disappeared.

"I mean, obviously Ryan's plan is a little shaky after that. How's he gonna get to a phone in the first place? And I doubt anyone would be willing to lend him a phonebook to call a cab or anything, but maybe we could find a number while we're still here and call ahead of time, so that they'll be waiting by the time we get to the other side of the lake."

'_Yeah, but that still doesn't account for the fact that five guys will have suddenly gone missing from a troubled teen camp, and we'll be easy targets for people to spot.'_

Troy plowed on insistently, suddenly getting a strange look on his face. He shifted onto his knees and started talking very fast, stumbling over words in his excitement.

"I just thought of something! Ryan was saying that we couldn't all go along because we'll be easily spotted, right?" _'That's what I was just trying to figure out how to tell you.'_ "Well, they'll be looking for five guys, right? Five guys."

Chad froze. _'Oh, no. You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?'_

"So… they won't be able to find us if they aren't any guys to find, got it?"

'_You're thinking what I think you're thinking.'_

"So, if we all dress up as girls…"

Chad jumped up from his bed and stomped his feet angrily, glaring at Troy with his hands on his hips.

'_No! No way, no hell, no anything! I am not wearing a dress to bust out of summer therapy camp!'_

Troy stared up at Chad, his blue eyes begging intently.

"Come on, Chad. Do you really want to spend the rest of your summer listening to some douche tell you that you need to change the way you are?"

'_No! But I sure as hell don't want to dress up like an idiot to get out of it!!'_

A rustling of sheets came from their right, and a second later, a sleepy voice called in their general direction.

"Troy? Chad? What are you guys doing?" Jason sat up and squinted in their direction.

"I'm trying to talk Chad into busting out of here!" Troy revealed, his words instantly waking up the other boy.

"Really?" he gasped. "You're taking me with you, right?" His excited voice woke up Ryan and Zeke, and Chad threw his hands in the air exasperatedly.

'_Fine! Just tell the whole camp that we're going to make a break for it wearing women's clothing!'_

"What are you talking about?" Ryan yawned tiredly, making Chad shift his feet and face away when he noticed the blonde's rumpled appearance. Without a hat, Ryan looked incomplete, naked, which made Chad think of the dream he had just had and flush with embarrassment.

'_What the fuck is wrong with me?'_ he berated himself before tuning back into the discussion at hand where Troy was telling the guys about his stupid idea.

"No way, man. As girls? That may be alright for you, but the rest of us aren't going to be seen in dresses and makeup anytime soon," Zeke said, once Troy had finished explaining it to them.

"Yeah, I dunno, Troy," Jason added. "I don't want to be seen crossdressing just to get out of here."

'_Thank you!' _Chad nodded, gesturing towards the two guys in the dark.

"Oh, come on guys," Troy pleaded, turning to each guy in question. They all shook their heads at him, disagreeing. "You guys. This could be our one chance to get out of here! Do you really wanna pass this up just because you'd have to get dressed like a girl? That's nothing!"

Chad crossed his arms in defiance. There was no way Troy was getting him into a dress.

"Actually," Ryan piped up for the first time since he'd heard Troy's plan. "I think it's a good idea." Chad stared at the blond in shock.

'_You do?'_

"You do?" Troy echoed disbelievingly.

"Yeah," Ryan nodded. The other boys started to protest, but Ryan held up his hands, asking for silence. "No, really. Whoever comes looking for us is not going to be expecting this. They'll be looking for four guys and one girl, no offense, Troy," he added towards the boy.

"None taken," Troy responded, seemingly bewildered by Ryan's sudden agreement with him.

'_What the--? Did you just call him Troy?'_ Chad wondered, just as baffled as his friend. _'What the hell is going on?'_

"So…" Ryan continued, apparently unaware of the effect he had had on the two boys. "It makes sense that if we disguised ourselves as girls, we would be less likely to be noticed." He turned his attention to the boys on the other end of the room.

"You guys say that you don't want people to see you dressed up as girls. Well, who do you think is going to know that? If we do this right, no one will be able to tell that you're not girls in the first place. And it's not like you know anyone in town. Everyone who could possibly find out about this would be back here at camp. They would have no idea." He turned his attention back to Troy and met the crossdresser's gaze.

"I'm all for it, Troy," he said, smiling encouragingly. Ryan then turned his gaze onto Chad and beamed brightly at him, his eyes sparkling even in the darkness.

Chad's heart skipped a beat.

He looked down and resisted the urge to scream in frustration. He was going to agree. One smile from those lips, and he was all but kneeling down and declaring his eternal service to the blond.

'_I can't believe it,'_ he thought to himself. _'I've turned gay.'_

Troy stared at Ryan quietly, still unsure if he was hearing correctly. Then, he smiled at the boy in turn and said, "Thanks." He turned to the others.

"So, whadya' say, guys? You in?" Jason and Zeke glanced at each other quizzically, some unknown conversation taking place, before they turned to Troy in unison and nodded their heads reluctantly.

"Awesome," Troy grinned.


	13. Chapter 13

Ryan fought to stifle a yawn as he applied more glitter to his wooden monstrosity of a birdhouse. Camp activities were always so dull and idiotic. But they were required so Ryan muddled through them by adding lots and lots of glitter. Taylor had already had a fit when she had seen the big sparkling mess he had made.

"Glitter?! You can't do that, Ryan! The birds will choke on it!" she exclaimed.

"Or it'll attract raccoons and other predators," Martha added. Ryan had studied his birdhouse carefully before shrugging and upending the whole bottle. What were a few dead birds anyway? You could never have too much glitter.

Ryan angled his head to the side to see how Chad was doing on his own decorations, but was pleasantly surprised when he saw the other boy staring dumbly at him. When Chad noticed Ryan looking, he jumped and turned around quickly, absentmindedly grabbing the yellow paint and squeezing it hard, so that most of it spattered out onto the boy himself. Ryan grinned in amusement. Chad was so cute.

The boys of cabin fourteen had stayed up late into the early hours of the morning, discussing their plans for Operation DRAG.

"Operation DRAG?" Troy had questioned.

"Yeah, for dudes really acting gay," Jason responded.

It hadn't taken long for the guys to figure out that they had a bit of a problem on their hands if they were going to be wearing girls clothes, namely… where were they going to get the clothes? After all, it was a bit obvious that several of them would never be able to fit into any of the Sharpay's or Gabriella's clothes.

"We'll make our own," Troy reasoned. "No, really," he said when several of the guys started to protest.

"I used to make my clothes all the time before my dad finally realized I wasn't going to stop and let me buy them. We just need a few supplies and some patterns. We'll have to figure out what each of us will be wearing."

At that moment, Ryan had discovered another problem.

"Troy, you can't dress the way you normally do."

"What?!" the boy replied, already getting angry. Ryan held up him hands defensively.

"What I mean is that you're going to have to change your look. People know what you look like in girl's clothes, but I'm not saying you have to dress up like a guy because that might be even more obvious." Troy had immediately looked relieved and conceded that he would have to wear something different.

"Oh, I know!" he exclaimed, running over to his bed and retrieving one of his suitcases from underneath. He then pulled out a long black wig and held it up for the group to see. They all crowded around him and took turns feeling up the wig.

"Don't touch the hair, you guys!" he had protested. "You'll mess it up with all the oils in your hands!"

"Dude," Zeke said, returning the wig to him. "Why do you even have that in the first place?" Troy glared at him.

"You didn't think this was my real hair, did you?"

"It's not?" Jason asked.

"No," Zeke replied to Troy, ignoring his friend's question. "But you always wear the same one."

"Well, it never hurts to be prepared."

"Exactly," Ryan beamed at him. Chad rolled his eyes at the group. But in the next second, Troy had opened his suitcase wide, and they were all witness to a variety of wigs of all different colors and styles.

"Wow," Jason breathed.

"So," Troy said, digging through his collection and coming out with a bright red wig with a short-cut length. "This different enough?" Ryan took one look at the wig and almost fainted in horror.

"Troy, Troy," he had stated, shaking his head sadly at the other boy. "Do you have no sense of color coordination?" Ryan sighed when the crossdresser looked at him stupidly.

"No offense, Troy, but your skin color is kind of on the orange side. A hair color like that won't do you any favors." Ryan pulled out the black wig Troy had originally produced and offered it to the boy before he had time to come up with a retort to the orange jibe. "This one will do fine."

Zeke rummaged through the suitcase, probably more to get his hands on something than out of real interest.

"So we're gonna need five of these and five different outfits. Plus, makeup and shoes. Right?"

"Actually," Ryan interrupted, "we're only going to need four wigs."

"Four wigs?" Troy responded. "Why? There are five of us!"

Ryan reached his hand out towards Chad and took a hold of one of his curls, tugging gently. The silent boy leaned back slightly, but allowed the touch. Ryan smiled to himself.

"Chad has enough hair already. We just need to style it differently." The boys nodded in agreement and spent the next hour and a half roughly outlining the "game plan." Ryan helped pick out wigs for Jason and Zeke and listed the colors that would work with their skin tones.

"Dude," Troy had said at one point. "How do you know so much about clothes?"

"Besides my impeccable sense of dress, you mean?" Chad tugged ruefully at Ryan's blue and yellow striped pajama pants, making Ryan smile. "You don't live with Shar for seventeen years and not know a thing or two about fashion." He leaned conspiratorially towards the crossdresser. "But just between you and me," he whispered, "Shar has no sense of color coordination."

He could tell that the other boys weren't sure if they believed him or not, but he played it off, smiling cheerfully at them.

Chad had buried himself in his notebook around that time, sketching something or other. Ryan resisted the temptation to walk over and see what he was doing, learning his lesson from last time. But after some time, Chad had rejoined the guys going over colors and styles, and had presented a drawing to Troy. Ryan bit his lip painfully, trying not to be hurt by this. However, Troy had just jumped up excitedly and started waving the drawing around.

"Chad! This is perfect!" he exclaimed, practically vibrating with pleasure. He then promptly showed the drawing to Ryan who glanced at Chad quickly before allowing himself to take in the picture.

It was a dress. Or the outline of a dress, and Chad had drawn it from several angles to present the whole view. Ryan was impressed. He looked up at the silent boy and smiled warmly, delighted when he got a smile in return. They could use this.

At that point it had been decided that Chad would draw up the dresses and Troy would make the patterns. Ryan would delegate what colors and fabrics would be needed, and Zeke would acquire the supplies. And Jason, surprisingly, was going to do most of the sewing. He had reluctantly admitted that his grandmother had taught him to sew when he was younger, prompting the guys to laugh at him.

"Hey!" he cried indignantly. "Just be glad I'm doing this for you guys! I didn't want to dress up in the first place!" The guys had apologized, still quietly laughing, and Ryan had watched as Chad went over to Jason and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. It made his heart go warm to see that gentler side of Chad.

But eventually, nature had wound its course and the boys had fallen asleep, only to wake up abruptly realizing they had five minutes to get to the main building for Crafts at nine.

Which was how Ryan found himself, sitting between Kelsi and Zeke, decorating birdhouses and holding back yawns. He wanted nothing more than to head back towards his cabin and curl up to sleep, maybe with Chad cuddled up against him. Yeah, that would nice.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the abrupt arrival of Troy who had rushed off to the counselor's first thing for his session. Zeke leaned in towards Ryan as Troy took a seat next to Chad and whispered quietly to him.

"So, Troy meets with Masters… to talk about crossdressing?" Ryan smiled secretively at the boy and turned back to his birdhouse.

"Don't forget the black and white ribbon, Zeke," he replied loudly, causing Kelsi to stare quizzically at the blond.

"Uh, right," he said, confused, but obediently reached his long arms over to another table and snatched the required items, pocketing them hastily.

Ryan smiled happily at nothing in particular. This was so much fun.

It took a couple of days to gather all the supplies. Zeke had even managed to find an old sewing machine in one of the less used activity rooms, so that Jason didn't have to stress so much.

Chad had already finished drawing up their outfits with a bit of help from Ryan on what styles would work for their respective figures. Troy had made three of the patterns and Jason had just started on the second dress. Chad's dress.

Ryan hovered around the anorexic boy as he worked, wanting to be sure that he got everything just right.

"He only has a thirty inch waist! Don't make it too big!" he fretted. Jason huffed in annoyance.

"Will you get out of my hair? I'm making it slightly bigger just in case! We can adjust it later when he tries it on."

Chad pulled Ryan away from Jason and led him to sit over by Troy who was outlining Zeke's long ballroom dress on a large expanse of construction paper. He glanced up at them as they approached before returning to his task.

"Technically, we should be using tracing paper for this, but I guess construction paper works just as well," he told them absentmindedly.

"Well, we have limited resources so we'll make do," Ryan responded.

"Yeah, well, if these outfits don't get done faster, then we're going be screwed. It's already Monday. We don't have a lot of time left."

"We'll be fine," Ryan waved off Troy's worries. "It was a slow start because we didn't have all the materials. Jason's pretty fast. We're just waiting for Zeke to get back with the makeup and jewelry."

As if on cue, four loud knocks sounded on the cabin door, and Chad got up from his spot to let Zeke in. Ryan grinned as the tall boy rushed in and collapsed on Chad's bed, releasing the hold he had on his sweater and allowing his loot to spill onto the comforter.

Ryan wandered over and started rummaging through his findings, tossing aside anything that wouldn't work.

"I hope you didn't get all this from cabin seven. Shar would have a fit if all the girls' things went missing," he said casually.

"Of course not," Zeke replied. "I took a little from every girl cabin. I'm hoping they'll think they just misplaced all this stuff and won't report it."

Ryan 'hmmed' absently and picked out a black choker with a small white flower and ribbon trailing down and held it up to inspect. He smiled happily and crossed over to Chad who had returned to his spot by Troy. Ryan dangled the piece of jewelry in front of the silent boy's eyes, and went to clasp it around his throat when all he got was a raised eyebrow.

"This'll go perfect with your outfit!" he exclaimed, snapping the clasp in place and letting his fingers linger just a bit longer against the nape of Chad's neck. He resisted the urge to lean in and breathe in the boy's scent. That would be a just a bit too obvious.

Ryan stepped back and admired the black material against Chad's neck. The darker boy brought his hand up to feel, and Ryan thought it made him look very alluring. The blond made a pleased noise deep in his throat, causing Chad to look up at him. The boy flushed when he met Ryan's eyes and turned towards Troy who glanced up from his work to see the choker.

"That looks good," he nodded. Ryan beamed.

"You guys," Zeke said, catching the room's attention. "What are we gonna do about shoes?" he asked, hands twisting around themselves, as if in anticipation for more stealing.

"I've already got mine," Ryan declared, going over to his bed and unearthing a pair of white strappy heels from underneath.

"Where did you get those?" Jason called from over by the sewing machine, stopping what he was doing to get a better look. Ryan kicked off his own shoes and socks and stepped into the heels, kneeling down to buckle them.

"They're Sharpay's," he answered, standing up and walking a few steps towards the others. Chad stared dazedly at the blonde's feet, almost as is he was awestruck. Troy set down his pencil to look more closely.

"Man, you must have some small feet," the crossdresser commented idly. Ryan looked up at Troy and stuck his tongue out playfully at him.

"No, Shar just has really big feet," he responded, putting on a serious expression. Chad grinned at him in amusement and crossed his eyes. When Troy noticed his expression, he started laughing, prompting Chad to join in as well with his own soft chuckle.

Ryan's heart started beating rapidly and he grinned cheerfully at the duo.

'_Wow. He's gorgeous,'_ the blond thought.

Zeke shook his head at the group in exasperation.

"Well, that solves your shoe problem, but what about the rest of us? I don't think any of us have any twin sisters with the same shoe size handy," he said indignantly. The trio stopped their antics and all turned to the flustered boy standing in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips. There was a moment of silence, and then they all started cracking up again.

Troy braced a hand on Chad's shoulder while he held his stomach with the other. Ryan stood in front of the two boys, laughing heartily, hands clutching his middle. Suddenly, Chad wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist and pulled him back so that he was sprawled between the two boys on the bed. All three fell back laughing hysterically, tears streaming out of their eyes. Zeke stared in astonishment at Chad who was laughing just as hard as the others, but with obvious trouble since he hadn't used his voice in such a long time. Ryan was still wearing the heels.

"Dude," Zeke intoned. "That's really gay." The three on the bed laughed harder. Zeke turned to Jason who was watching the group with an amused smile on his face. Zeke gave him a look.

"What?" Jason shrugged at him, turning back to his sewing. "It is really gay," he agreed, smiling as he started up the machine.

In another two days, all the outfits were finished. It had been discovered that Chad and Jason wore the same shoe size as Troy and compromises had been made over who got which pair. Jason was going to be wearing Troy's black Docs to go with his punk/goth style outfit, and Chad had to struggle it out with a pair of black heels. Troy had decided on a pair of dark red knee-high boots with a tall heel. Why Troy owned those shoes, Ryan had no idea. They still didn't know what they were going to do about Zeke, though, as he had the largest feet out of all of them. They were hoping that they'd figure something out before the next morning, but Ryan privately thought there was no helping the guy.

After the boys' earlier laughing session, Ryan and Troy had grilled Chad on being careful with his voice, but Chad had just shrugged at them and smiled unapologetically. Ryan privately was overjoyed that he had gotten to witness the boy's unchecked laughter. It was hoarse with unuse, but still wonderful to hear.

Lake activities were scheduled for that afternoon, causing Ryan to parade happily around the camp, often stopping and grabbing whoever was nearest for some impromptu dancing. Kelsi was already going into sexual overdrive at the thought of all that exposed flesh. However, Ryan was only excited at the thought of seeing Chad wet without a shirt.

Ever since Operation DRAG had kicked off, Chad and the other boys were more welcoming and friendly towards the blond, and Ryan had stopped spending every waking hour with the girls. Gabi had grinned mischievously at him when she had noticed, but he had refused to offer any details to the girl.

It's not that Ryan actually thought the plan was going to work, but just the teamwork that had gone into planning the whole situation had brought their cabin closer together. If the boys had been friends before, planning to dress up as girls had really bonded them in a way none of them had expected. Ryan was even getting along with Troy!

But what had Ryan at his most ecstatic was that it seemed as if the whole 'Incident' had simply not taken place, and Chad was as friendly with him as he was with Troy, if not more. Now, Chad always greeted the blond with a smile and would sling an arm around his shoulders whenever Ryan got close enough. It made Ryan glow inside to know that Chad thought of him as a friend.

Then, there were the times when he would catch Chad staring at him strangely. Ryan always grinned at him when this happened, and Chad would always turn away flushing. Ryan wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not, but he liked to believe it was because the boy was embarrassed for being caught staring at him.

Ryan bit his lip in happiness and shrugged out of his red button-down and black slacks. The cabin was abandoned right now. All of the campers were down at the lake, no doubt causing a ruckus. Ryan was late because he had been held up at Linderman's office for a discussion about Sharpay. It seemed as if some of the other campers had noticed that she wasn't required to go to sessions with Masters and were voicing complaints. Ryan had assured Ms. Linderman that he would tell Sharpay to be more discrete.

The blond stepped into a pair of light blue trunks that matched his eyes and selected a cap in the same shade to go with them. After pulling a white polo over his head and seizing a towel, he grabbed his key and some sunglasses and walked out of the cabin, pausing briefly to lock the door behind him, then heading towards the lake.

Ryan turned the corner around the main building, but stopped when he noticed Masters stalking in his direction, Jason in tow. He raised an eyebrow questioningly when the pair halted in front of him, and Masters stared at him expectantly.

"Good afternoon, Brandon. Jason," he nodded. The other boy stared back at him with a guilty expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Ryan. I didn't mean to," he voiced and dropped his head to stare at his feet. Ryan looked from the guilt-ridden boy to the counselor then back again before opening his mouth.

"Um… what?" he asked, confused. The counselor stared down at Ryan over the top of his glasses.

"Mr. Evans. I'm glad we found you," he declared, voice laden with sarcasm. "I just now came by Mr. Cross hanging around the service gate outside my office."

"The service gate," Ryan repeated dumbly.

'_Don't tell me…'_

"Yes, the service gate," Masters confirmed. "He was snooping around acting quite suspicious and gave me your name when I asked what he was doing."

Ryan looked to Jason, but the boy wouldn't meet his eyes. He was probably feeling extremely guilty.

"Why would he do a thing like that?" Ryan questioned, turning his attention back to the older man.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Masters responded, eyes narrowing at Ryan in suspicion.

'_Crap,'_ Ryan thought, already starting to come up with ideas on how to get out of this new dilemma. He dismissed Jason's guilt, already forgiving him. Some people just didn't react well when put in a sticky situation like this. Ryan wasn't one of those people. He smiled sweetly at the counselor.

"Oh, Brandon," he said in his sappiest voice. "I'm so sorry. I just had to tell someone!"

Jason looked up at the blond in surprise. However, Masters' face took on an expression of pure terror.

"You—"

"I just couldn't help myself, Brandon. You're always telling me how I should try to not say anything when I feel compelled to lie, but when Jason caught me hanging around outside your window, I just had to say something! So I told him that I was searching for a way to get out of the camp. I'm sorry I lied. I didn't mean to get Jason into trouble." Ryan stared up at the counselor with a look of dejection on his face. Jason stared at Ryan in disbelieving awe. Masters glanced between the two boys and took a step back, raising a hand to readjust his glasses uncomfortably.

"That's quite alright, Mr. Evans," he stuttered, taking another step away from the boys. "I'm sure you didn't mean it. I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Mr. Cross," he added, glancing quickly at Jason.

"So Jason's not in trouble?" Ryan asked hopefully. The counselor shook his head swiftly.

"No, no. Of course not. But extra security will be added to the area just to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again," he responded.

"But of course, Brandon," Ryan replied, smiling. "Thank you for being so understanding."

The counselor nodded at the blond, smiling weakly before he took off in the opposite direction, walking briskly.

There was silence between the two boys for a moment before Jason turned to Ryan and grinned.

"Dude. That was awesome. How did you do that?"

Ryan winked at the boy cheerily.

"Secret of the trade," he said, walking up to Jason and grabbing his arm, steering him towards the lake. "Come on. The others will be waiting for us."

Jason fell into step beside him and glanced at Ryan out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry about ruining the plan," he said softly, words laced with guilt. Ryan looked at him and sighed before linking his arm with Jason's and carrying on.

"Don't worry about it. They were bound to catch up with us anyway."

"Yeah, but Troy and the guys are gonna be so disappointed. They were really looking forward to busting out of here," he retorted sullenly. Ryan gazed at the boy and sighed again, feeling sorry for him. He was going to get so much shit for this.

Thoughts raced through Ryan's mind as they came upon the lake, and he refocused his attention on the boy next to him.

Sharpay and Kelsi were lounging on the shore with a bunch of other girls from some of the other cabins. Gabi was splashing around in the water with Taylor and Martha, but she waved cheerfully at Ryan when she spotted him. He smiled back at her and continued on with Jason toward the guys who were hitting a volleyball back and forth a short distance away.

Troy caught the ball and waved at them, smiling, when he saw them approaching. Ryan shook his head in amusement. The crossdresser was wearing a red one-piece swimsuit with a short wraparound skirt, and his long hair was tied back into a ponytail to keep out of his face.

"Hey guys," Ryan greeted, smiling at Chad who was clad in a pair of dark green trunks and nothing else. The sight sent Ryan straight to cloud nine. Chad had an awesome body. His arms were strong and muscled, and his stomach was taut with well-defined abs. Quite a feat when Ryan considered that Chad was usually drawing and didn't seem to get out much. But then, Ryan didn't really know what else Chad did back home. After all, he seemed to be perfectly decent at basketball.

However, Ryan's joyous mood was short-lived when he noticed Chad's expression. The silent boy was glaring at him with some unknown expression on his face, causing Ryan to frown unhappily.

"What's up?" Zeke asked, glancing down at Ryan and Jason's entwined arms. Ryan blinked and realized belatedly that he was still holding onto the other boy. He released his victim and grinned ruefully. Jason slumped dejectedly on the ground and looked up at the others with an expression full of remorse.

"Operation DRAG's a no-go," he told them straight. Ryan resisted the urge to smack him on the forehead.

"What?!" Troy and Zeke exclaimed, staring at the boy wide-eyed. Chad looked down at the boy, confusion evident in his eyes.

Ryan stepped in easily before anything more could be said.

"It's my fault, you guys. I'm sorry." The group turned to look at Ryan questioningly, Jason included.

"I was double-checking the route for tomorrow, and Masters caught me while I was by the service gate."

"Oh crap," Zeke said. "What happened?"

"Did he figure out the plan?" Troy added, coming closer. Chad stepped forward as well, wanting more information. Jason stared at Ryan in silence, not sure what to think.

"No, he didn't figure it out. Jason came by while he was questioning me and distracted him." The guys breathed sighs of relief and smiled at Jason gratefully. Ryan waved a hand to get their attention.

"But now he knows that we're aware of the service gate. He's likely to go to Linderman and have the security increased around that area."

"Damn," Zeke responded, looking down at his feet.

"I'm sorry, you guys," Ryan conceded. Troy waved the apology away.

"It's just a good thing we didn't get caught while it was actually happening. We would have gotten in so much trouble." Zeke nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I didn't really want to wear that dress anyway," he said, smiling at Ryan. The blond chuckled softly and ducked his head, hiding his smile.

"Thank God for Jason, though. Right?" Troy said, clapping a hand on said boy's shoulder in appreciation. Jason looked up in bewilderment, and smiled weakly after a small pause.

"So, you guys up for some more volleyball?" Zeke asked, grabbing the ball from Troy's hands and running a few yards away. Troy followed after him, whooping in excitement.

"I think I'll sit for a bit," Ryan stated, spreading out his towel before taking up a position on it.

Jason glanced at the blond and gave him an appreciative smile before jumping up to join the others. Ryan sighed and rested back on his elbows, stretching out lazily. He started slightly when he felt a presence beside him.

'_What the--?'_ but it was only Chad settling himself down, knees bent casually.

"Not gonna join in the spreading of testosterone with the other guys?" he questioned Chad, gesturing towards where Troy was hitting the ball to Jason who missed it by a mile.

The boy shrugged and placed his arm around Ryan's shoulders, turning his gaze to his friends down by the water. Ryan smiled and settled himself more comfortably against the other's side. Who said Operation DRAG wasn't a success?


	14. Chapter 14

Chad wasn't sure what was happening. Well, he was sure, but he didn't know why it was happening or how.

There was dancing. A whole lot of dancing.

He hadn't thought anything of it when Jason had come to collect him from the cabin where he had been holed up, sketching another piece on Ryan. He was getting so obsessive, his notebook was overflowing with pictures of Ryan, ranging from expression to situation to god knows what else. But then Jason had burst into the room and pulled him away from his latest drawing, rambling something about "girls" and "you gotta see."

So Chad had followed the other to the rec room, and had been promptly blown away by the spectacle in front of him.

Music was blasting around the room incredibly loudly, the bass pulsing in their ears, though Chad had no idea where the source was coming from. Almost every teenager in the whole camp was crammed into the room. The couches had been pushed to the sides to provide more room, except for one situated in the center. The scene resembled what Chad always thought a nightclub would look like. All of the girls were already dancing, all mashed together. Though, most of the guys had elected to sit it out on the couches.

Jason led Chad over to one side of the room where Zeke and Troy were sitting, staring at the picture before them with dazed expressions. Chad cocked an eyebrow at them.

'_Really? Are you guys that pathetic?'_

He thoughts were confirmed when Zeke made a whiny noise in his throat as Sharpay passed by right in front of them in a tight pink miniskirt. Chad rolled his eyes. Jason turned to Troy and shouted at him, straining to be heard over the music.

"What's this song?" he yelled, making Chad wince. Troy didn't even turn to look at him. He just stared into the crowd of girls and made a vague motion resembling a shrug. Surprisingly, it was Zeke who answered him, though the boy was still staring after Sharpay longingly.

"It's called 'Rehab.' It's sung by Amy Winehouse."

"Isn't this all somewhat ironic?" Troy called over, coming slightly out of his daze.

"What? The song?" Jason asked.

"Well, yeah," Troy nodded. "But, I mean, didn't anyone ever question the logic of putting a whole bunch of troubled teens together in one camp and expecting them to get better?" Chad stared at his friend in confusion, wondering where the sudden insight had come from. Not that he thought Troy was seriously stupid or anything like that, but the crossdresser just never took the time to think things over like that, at least not where it counted. This was the guy who had wanted to bust out of camp in drag, after all. But then again, Ryan had also thought it was a good idea. Speaking of which, Chad started looking around in search of the blond. Ryan would never miss an opportunity for craziness.

Chad smiled fondly, thinking of the birdhouse the blond had proudly displayed in their cabin for everyone to see. He didn't think he had ever seen anything with so much glitter on it before. Which led to him to start thinking of other not so pure thoughts of Ryan and glitter and not much else.

'_Wow. All that glitter.'_ He shivered. _'All that Ryan.'_ He moaned.

Chad flushed with heat and glanced quickly at the others to make sure they hadn't noticed. He still wasn't sure what his exact feelings for the blond were, if he liked him as a really, really good friend who he felt comfortable with touching all the time and having not so innocent dreams about or if he liked him in a gay way. As in really gay. Like he was gay. And he didn't know if he was gay. Liking one guy didn't count, right? Even if he was physically attracted to Ryan. He still liked to look at girls and all their curves. Sure he hadn't looked in a while, but he just hadn't been interested. Ryan was just a crazy exception. It was only because Chad appreciated his body for it's aesthetic purpose in his sketches.

'_Yeah. Keep telling yourself that, Chad,'_ the boy told himself dubiously.

Suddenly, Jason grabbed a hold of Chad's arm and squeezed tightly.

'_What the hell?'_

It seemed as though Jason had caught the disease that had taken over Troy and Zeke and was staring at a group of girls dancing on top of the couch in the center, his eyes bugging out and mouth falling open.

It was just Kelsi and the others, bodies pressed close together in what would be considered a sexy manner by most of the male population. But Chad took a double glance and locked his stare onto the scene as well.

Because right smack in the middle of all the girls was Ryan in the tightest pair of jeans Chad had ever seen and a sexy grin across his lips.

'_Oh,'_ Chad blinked. Ryan's jeans played low on his hips, and his shirt rode up as he danced, leaving a smooth expanse of pale stomach for Chad to feast his eyes on.

Chad's stomach dropped out below him as he watched the blond sway with the music, his hips doing obscene things and messing with Chad's mind. Gabi and Kelsi were sandwiching him on either side, and they both seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. If Chad drank, he was pretty sure he would be knocking back shots right about now.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. He was supposed to be staring at the girls, at Gabi and Kelsi and their pert breasts and round bottoms and wishing he was pressed up against them. But instead, he was mesmerized by Ryan's wild hips and his bright eyes and his pink lips.

Chad swallowed and took a few back steps until his shoulder blades were flat against the wall between two couches. He looked down and breathed in deeply, trying to get his hormones under control. When he looked back up into the crowd, he furrowed his brow and glanced around.

'_Where did--?'_

Suddenly, Ryan appeared in front of him, grinning brightly and breathing hard.

"Hey, Chad!" he greeted and swayed his body from right to left, still dancing. Chad tried not to stare. It was a futile effort though because there was really nothing else he could do without either giving himself away or screaming in terror.

If it was possible, Ryan's smile grew bigger, and he stepped forward, coming into Chad's personal space. Chad stared at Ryan's bright blue eyes and the sweat dripping down from his temple. He felt all the blood in his body rush south, and his cock hardened in his jeans. He resisted the urge to whimper and closed his eyes, breathing deeply through his nose. But that only made the situation worse because while he could no longer see the blond, the rest of his body was hyperaware of the boy's presence. Chad could feel the body heat radiating off of him and caught a trace of Ryan's cologne, something light and fresh on top of what was most definitely a masculine scent. And Chad wasn't the least bit bothered that it turned him on.

When he opened his eyes once again, Ryan had taken a small step back and was smiling expectantly at him, hand held out invitingly. Chad tilted his head to the side, confused.

'_What?'_

Then, Chad recalled that Ryan had no idea that he was thinking about him sexually, and was most likely inviting him to dance.

'_Dance?'_

Chad tripped over his feet as he tried to get out of his position against the wall. He stumbled against the couch's armrest and fell over backwards into Troy's lap. The sitting boy squawked indignantly and glared at Chad for interrupting his girl watching. Ryan laughed and leaned over the armrest, peering down at Chad.

The silent boy raised his arms and shook his head frantically, trying to back up even farther and hide the bulge straining at his jeans.

Ryan's smile faltered slightly, but he pressed on.

"Come on, Chad. It'll be fun. I'll get some of the girls to join in so you won't feel uncomfortable," he cajoled. Chad resisted the urge to yell that he didn't care about whether there were girls or not. He made a sharp motion with his hands, almost smacking Troy in the face.

'_I don't dance,'_ he professed internally, putting his proverbial foot down.

Ryan's face fell and he stared at Chad dejectedly for a few moments before he straightened up and went over to Jason and Zeke, pulling them up by their forearms and leading them into the crowd.

"Come on, boys. It's time to show these girls what you're made of," he declared, dragging them over to the girls who promptly latched onto the boys with an unhealthy hunger.

Troy pushed Chad off of him and readjusted his dress, before he turned to glare at him.

"What the hell did you do that for?"

'_Huh?'_ Chad blinked at him.

Troy gestured at Ryan and the others, who seemed to be warming up to the whole situation.

"Ryan! Why didn't you just dance with him?! Now, we're stuck here looking like idiots!"

'_Well if you want to dance so much, why don't you just join them yourself?!'_ Chad glared back at him.

Troy huffed and turned to stare in the opposite direction. Chad rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, slumping back against the couch.

'_It's not my job to dance with Ryan just so that you can get close to the girls,'_ he griped moodily. _'I don't dance.'_

Chad ignored the fact that he really wanted to be the one Ryan was dancing with at that moment, instead of Jason and Zeke.

'_Dammit.'_


	15. Chapter 15

It was inappropriately late.

Actually, it was only eleven thirty, but Chad told himself it was late as an excuse for his bad mood. After the whole 'not dancing with Ryan' thing, Chad had wanted to escape back to the cabin, but Troy, being the drama queen he was, had adamantly refused to leave, and so by default, Chad was required to stay as well. This made no sense to Chad at all, but then this whole camp didn't make sense. So he had stuck it out for another two hours while Troy sat and sulked at the room in general.

Ryan never came back to ask Chad to dance again. He had stayed glued to the dance floor, surrounded by the girls and Zeke and Jason, smiling and having fun. Without Chad.

Not that Chad had spent the whole evening watching the blond. That was literally impossible. Ryan had been everywhere. Chad couldn't count how many times he had lost sight of the boy, not to mention the rest of the group. There were times that Chad was positive Ryan wasn't even in the room. But he would eventually make his way back to the middle of the makeshift dance floor, and somehow end up pressed between two others, male or female. So it wasn't really Chad's fault that he wasn't at his most cheerful.

'_Except that it really is. If you had just danced with him in the first place, you wouldn't have had to sit here for two hours with only a bitchy Troy for company.'_

Needless to say, Chad was quite happy to be heading back to the cabin. He was really looking forward to spending some quality time with his notebook, away from all the melodrama that was Troy and the hurt that was Ryan.

Chad ran to the cabin door, not caring that he was leaving Troy behind in the dark. All that mattered at the moment was getting to his notebook where he didn't have to deal with the rest of the world and all of its complexities. He hurriedly unlocked the door and dashed inside, falling to his knees in front of his dresser and yanking open the bottom drawer. He slipped his hand under the disorganized mess of jeans, searching for the spiral edge of his notebook. His fingers met the wood at the bottom of the drawer.

'_What?'_ Chad blinked. He pushed some jeans to the side of the drawer and dug in with his other hand, searching frantically. He distantly heard the cabin door open and Troy walk in, grumbling about something or other, but Chad wasn't paying attention. He grabbed his drawer by the sides and yanked it out completely, upending its contents onto the ground.

Nothing.

Chad reached for his other drawers, similarly emptying them onto the floor by his bed.

"Dude. What's your problem?" Troy's voice vaguely registered in his mind.

'_No. No no no no no.'_ Chad pulled back his comforter and ripped the sheets off his bed, but received the same result. Nothing.

'_No! It has to be here!'_

"Dude!" Troy came up behind him and grabbed Chad's arm, pulling the frantic boy to face him, but his words died on his lips when he noticed the desperate expression on Chad's face.

Chad took the opportunity to pull away from him and start the destruction of the area around his bed in search of his notebook. He idly noted that Troy had begun a similar search on the other side of the room, upending beds and pulling out drawers, discarding their contents.

"Whoa!" Zeke's voice came from the door a moment later. "What the hell are you guys doing?" he ran forward and placed himself in front of Chad who had just gone over to the tall boy's bed to dismantle it, placing a firm hand against Chad's chest to keep him back. Chad glared up at him, not caring that Zeke could easily overpower him. Nothing was getting in the way of finding his notebook.

"Move, Zeke," Troy answered from his spot in front of Ryan's bed where he was busy rummaging through the blonde's messenger bag.

"No way, dude," Zeke replied, still holding Chad back. "This is my bed. You've got no business going through my stuff."

Chad saw red. He pulled his fist back and punched Zeke square in the jaw.

"What the fuck?" Jason cried, rushing into the room with Ryan hot on his heels.

"Chad!" Troy dropped what he was doing and ran over to Chad, pulling him back as he made another move for the other boy who had fallen back onto the floor. After Zeke got over his shock, he jumped up angrily and would have went for Chad, struggling against Troy, if not for Jason and Ryan both grabbing hold of him.

"What's going on?!" Ryan yelled when the two of them had managed to push Zeke back onto his bed. Chad roughly disentangled himself from Troy and stood glaring daggers at the three boys in his way.

"Chad just punched me!" Zeke responded angrily, pointing accusingly at the silent boy.

'_Get the fuck out of my way!'_ Chad growled and rushed forward, only to be intercepted by Troy once again who promptly pushed Chad back onto Jason's bed to prevent further attempts.

"Dude!" Jason exclaimed. "What the hell did you punch Zeke for?!"

Chad turned his angry eyes onto the anorexic, but Troy stepped in front of him, blocking his immediate view.

"Don't blame Chad!" he retorted in defense. "Zeke got in his way!"

"What?!" Zeke shouted indignantly. "I was just trying to stop that maniac from destroying my bed! Did you see what he did to the rest of the room?!"

"I don't understand," Ryan said mildly. "Why would Chad do something like that?"

"Because he's a freak?!" Zeke replied.

"Don't call Chad a freak!" Troy shot back.

"He destroyed our room! And you were helping him! You're both freaks!"

"Shut your mouth, asshole!"

"He's a lunatic that doesn't talk. Who knows what goes on in that head of his? And you're nothing but a crossdressing queer," Zeke replied evenly. Troy lunged at him.

"You bastard!"

The room erupted in chaos.

"You guys!" Jason yelled, stepping in front of Troy and holding him off his friend. Ryan had thrown himself in front of Zeke and was desperately trying to hold him back without much luck.

Chad sat back and surveyed the scene before him, unseeing.

'_No.'_ He pulled his legs up and curled into himself, making himself as small as possible.

'_No,' _he shook his head. It wasn't possible. Just a few hours ago, he had been sketching in his notebook as usual and now it was gone.

The noise in the room grew louder, but Chad couldn't hear it. He was staring wide-eyed into a dark nothingness and all sound and light had vanished.

"Chad," a hushed voice breathed.

Ryan stared up at Chad from his spot on the floor where Zeke had thrown him.

"What the hell is going on?" a sharp voice came from the door. All movement ceased within the cabin, and the boys turned their heads to the newcomer framed in the doorway.

Sharpay stood, hands settled firmly on her hips and an expression of pure annoyance on her face. She cocked a finely arched brow at the boys, gaze falling upon each of them in turn, pausing briefly on Chad before coming to rest on Ryan.

"I assume you're done with your manly bonding now?" she declared into the silence.

Ryan released a breath he hadn't known he was holding and pulled himself up from off the floor.

"Can you please explain to me why it looks like a tornado just passed through your room?" she waved a hand vaguely at the disarray. She held up her hand when both Zeke and Troy made a move to speak.

"Nevermind. I don't want to know." She then pointed a finger at Chad. "I think someone broke him."

All four boys turned to look at the boy sitting unmoving on top of Jason's bed. Ryan dashed forward to help him, but Troy reached him first.

"Chad!" He grabbed a hold of his friend's shoulders. Chad snapped his head up to look at Troy, and the crossdresser gazed into emotionless eyes. Chad titled his head to the side, as if in question, but his face remained blank and unreadable.

Ryan stared at the boy helplessly over Troy's shoulder. Jason and Zeke watched from a distance as Troy backed away slowly from the bed and was replaced by Ryan immediately, who grasped Chad's hand and held it tightly.

"Yes, you might want to do something about that," Sharpay responded dismissively. Troy glared up at her from underneath his long bangs and grit his teeth together.

"Where are Chad's sketches?" he bit out to the room, mouth clenched angrily.

"His sketches?" Ryan questioned softly.

"What?" Zeke and Jason chorused together. Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"You mean all of this is because he lost that dumb notebook?"

Troy took a few menacing steps toward the blond girl, but stopped short of coming within arm's reach of her. Chad turned his blank eyes towards the pair.

"Shut up," he growled at her. "Not everyone is as perfect as you," he intoned sarcastically. "Not all of us can get by without a safety net."

"Obviously not," Sharpay retorted, glancing critically up and down Troy's figure. Troy's face hardened and his fists clenched, but before he could respond, Zeke spoke up hesitantly.

"I took it."

The room turned to stare at the tall boy who shifted nervously under their gazes. Chad's eyes sharpened slightly.

'_What?'_

"What?!" Troy sneered at him.

Zeke held up his hands defensively and backed up to his dresser drawers, opening the top one and rummaging inside.

"I couldn't help it! I came in earlier while Ryan and Jason were occupied with the girls and saw it lying on his bed… and I just couldn't help it."

Chad picked himself up off the bed, bringing Ryan along with him and he stared determinedly at Zeke.

'_Give it to me.'_

"Well," Troy replied evenly, walking up to Zeke. "Where is it?"

Sharpay huffed and sat down moodily on top of Ryan's bed and crossed her legs, ignoring the twisted comforter hanging precariously off the side.

Zeke paused briefly.

"What?" he said softly, drawing everyone's attention. Chad stepped forward anxiously, and Ryan worriedly gripped his hand, holding him back lightly

"It's not there?" Troy asked, voice just on the edge of menacing.

"No!" Zeke cried. "It was here! I swear I put it here!"

"Well, where is it?!" Troy repeated, pushing the other boy aside and sifting through the drawer's contents himself. Once again, Chad tried to step forward, Ryan tugging gently to keep him back. Jason fretted nervously behind his friends. Chad strained towards the others, wanting his notebook.

"You're not going to find it in there," Ryan said from behind them, letting go of Chad's hand and stepping back slightly. The boys snapped their heads in the blonde's direction in unison, staring wide-eyed.

'_What's that supposed to mean?'_ Chad gazed at him in disbelief. Ryan averted his eyes.

"It's not in there," he said quietly.

"But I put it in here," Zeke replied, gesturing towards his top drawer.

"I know," Ryan said. "And I took it out."

The room fell quiet.

"What?" Troy responded after a moment.

"When Zeke came to the cabin earlier. I followed him back and saw him take Chad's notebook and put it away. So when he left, I took it out of his drawer and hid it."

"So then you have it," Troy stated quietly.

"Yeah," Ryan responded, eyes downcast.

Chad froze and stared at the blond, alarm evident in his eyes.

"I didn't think it was going to cause something like this. I was going to give it back. I swear."

"Where is it," Troy glared at the blond, not even asking. Ryan looked up at the crossdresser and pointed at Sharpay, who opened her mouth in shock and raised her arms.

"I have nothing to do with this! I don't have his stupid notebook!"

Troy glared at her, ready to start shouting when Ryan walked over and pushed her off his bed, ignoring her angry protest, and kneeling down and lifting the mattress.

"Not her. My bed." The blond said, reaching underneath and pulling out Chad's notebook before setting the mattress down again. He turned to Chad, eyes dull.

Chad stalked over to him and snatched his notebook out of Ryan's hands, making him flinch. He glared at the blond as Ryan continued to look up at him sadly with his very blue eyes.

'_You!'_

"I'm sorry, Chad," Ryan said softly. "I just didn't think you wanted Zeke to look inside."

'_So you decided it'd be better if you did?!'_ he glowered, eyes burning with mistrust. Ryan bit his lip and took a step towards the other, eyes pleading with Chad to believe him.

"You have to know I would have never looked inside without your permission."

Chad pulled away from him angrily. Ryan stilled with his arm stretched out towards the other.

"Please, Chad," he whispered desperately. "I didn't look inside. I promise."

Chad stared at him for a moment, taking in the other's expression before he turned away and stomped angrily to his bed.

Ryan choked back a sob and stared after the other helplessly. He started shaking slightly as he turned his gaze onto the others, and they all greeted him with the same disbelieving expression.

"I—" he began before turning to his sister and gesturing feebly. Sharpay gazed back at him and raised an eyebrow, which he took as his cue to flee the room, leaving an awful silence in his wake.

"Nice going, Danforth," Sharpay said abruptly, shocking the group visibly. Chad turned his glare onto the blond girl, but she just crossed her arms and glared right back, unaffected.

'_What the hell are you still doing here?'_ but she took no heed of his mood.

"You just live to make trouble for others, don't you?" she said sarcastically. Chad raised an eyebrow challengingly at her.

"Oh, don't give me that look!" she scoffed at him. "All of this is your fault." She waved vaguely in the air.

'_How is this my fault?'_ He looked at her with contempt in his eyes.

"First, you turn my brother into a mindless groupie like the rest of these idiots. Then, you just had to hold his interest by making friends with him!" she said, as if she didn't understand how Ryan could find Chad interesting in any way.

"And now, you turn him away because he just so happened to have your stupid notebook! Get over yourself, Danforth."

'_Fuck off! What the hell do you know?'_

Sharpay sauntered up to Chad, every click of her heels on the floor resonating loudly throughout the cabin. She got right up in his face and stared him down.

"Ryan's a lot of things," she whispered dangerously. "And yes, a liar is one of them. But not like that. He would never lie about something important to someone he loved." She sneered at him before stepping away.

Chad stared back at her, not sure what to think of the girl in front of him. Sharpay sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You've got your notebook back. Be happy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a mess to fix," she declared to the room before turning on her heel and stalking out of the cabin.

"Dude," Jason said, looking to Zeke. "Don't the adults ever come around to check what's going around in this crazy place?"

Troy came up behind Chad and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You alright, man?" he asked quietly, but received no response out the silent boy.

'_Love?'_ Chad stared down at the notebook in his hands, confused.


	16. Chapter 16

Ryan pressed his face into Sharpay's pillow, silent tears streaming down his face as Taylor and Gabriella chatted quietly in the background. Kelsi and Martha had already retired for the night, and the lights were low so that the girls didn't notice his sorry state.

For that Ryan was glad. He didn't think he could handle their attentions at the moment, no matter how well meaning they were.

It had already been five minutes since he had run out of the cabin, and Chad's distrusting expression was still prominent in his mind. Ryan shuddered and held back another sob, not wanting to disturb the girls who had just turned out the lights and finally seemed to be settling in to sleep.

Sharpay wasn't back yet. Ryan didn't know what to think of that. Had she stayed behind to make more trouble with the guys? Or was she already plotting their gruesome deaths? Both options did little to make Ryan feel better. On the one hand, he kind of wanted them to suffer just a little bit for not believing him, but then he would think of Chad's face and just wanted to stay away forever and have nothing to do with any of them.

By the time Sharpay returned, the room had grown quiet, the only sounds being the soft breathing of the girls sleeping. Ryan heard her take off her heels and set them down on the floor before he felt the bed shift as she settled onto it. Moments later, he felt her hand come to rest lightly on his back between his shoulder blades. Ryan stilled, trying not to show how badly the situation affected him, but seconds later, his body released a violent shudder, and he stopped pretending.

He sobbed quietly, voice muffled by the pillow, while Sharpay rubbed his back soothingly, offering what comfort she could. Ryan gripped the comforter tightly and pressed himself further against the bed, not wanting to think about anything anymore.

He didn't cry often, but when he did, he always did so in the solitude of his own room, not wanting others to be witness to his pain. This way, he could cry for as long as he wanted, ride out the tremors and aches, until he exhausted himself and fell into an uneasy sleep. And the next morning would always be better, and he could go about his usual business without the strain of trying to hide what he was feeling.

Sharpay knew this, just like she knew that this time, he didn't have the option of solitude, unless he wanted to be caught by Masters or Linderman and explain why he was out of his cabin so late at night. So she did what she could and stayed quiet, letting him get the worst out.

Ryan appreciated it. Her presence added a calming effect so that he kept his crying to a minimum and let it die down after a short time, though his body would still shudder every few seconds. When she noticed this, she settled down on the bed, her figure pressed snugly against his back, her chin on his shoulder. She wrapped an arm around his body and stroked his arm lightly for a few moments before she started humming a lullaby softy to him.

Ryan turned so that his face was no longer pressed against her pillow. He hiccupped softly and shifted to face his sister, burying his face in her hair, inhaling the pleasant smell. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and she tightened her hold on him in turn.

He pulled back a bit after she finished her song, staring into her brown eyes and smiling weakly at her in thanks. She smiled back slightly and rubbed at his neck, receiving a pleased note from the blond boy for her attention.

Her eyes asked him if he wanted to stay the night. Ryan gazed back at her sadly before he pulled away, shaking his head. He would have loved to stay with her, sleeping together the way they used to when they were children. But he knew he'd have to go back eventually. There was no way to completely avoid the others, no matter what kind of strings she pulled.

Sharpay sat up and pulled him into a tight hug, releasing him after a few seconds and making a shooing motion with her hands. He grinned at her briefly, his blue eyes communicating his thanks though they still reflected his grief. She smiled at him softly in return and walked him to the door to lock up as he left.

Ryan breathed the night air deeply before taking off for his cabin at a swift pace. He'd just go straight to bed, ignore his nightly ritual and not talk to any of the others. No need to cause another scene.

When he entered the cabin, the lights were off, and Chad's bed was empty. Soft snores came from the other three beds, so Ryan quickly changed into some pajamas, trying not to wonder where Chad had disappeared to.

However when he got in bed, his body refused to sleep. He stayed awake and stared at the alarm clock sitting atop his dresser. At one fifty-nine, the cabin door creaked open and there were footsteps on the floor.

Ryan stilled and hoped Chad would think he was asleep. The footsteps stopped abruptly, and Ryan's heart thudded painfully against his chest. He shut his eyes tightly. After a few seconds, the footsteps continued. Ryan heard the rustling of clothing and bed covers being pulled back. Then, there was silence once again. He opened his eyes.

The bright letters on his alarm read two o'clock.


	17. Chapter 17

Chad's heart beat furiously against his chest as he stared at the wooden door leading into the boy's shower room. He gripped his notebook tightly in his hands, belatedly reminding himself not to twist the pages and ruin it. He was in a sorry state.

Two minutes ago, Chad had caught sight of Ryan swiftly entering the shower room, and he had run after him furiously, but had halted right before going inside the door.

'_What am I doing?'_

Chad had wandered around the camp for a few hours last night, trying to sort out everything that was going on his head. Ironically, it was Sharpay that got him thinking about everything. But what she had said. About Ryan. And love.

Chad exhaled loudly and turned away from the showers, taking a few steps away before swiftly coming back to his earlier position. He groaned in frustration and sat angrily on a nearby bench, bringing a shaky hand up to run distractedly through his hair.

'_Pull yourself together!'_ he berated himself, closing his eyes briefly and running over why he was doing this again.

Ryan. Chad wasn't sure what it was about that blond that made him go nuts. But there was something. Which was weird because if Sharpay meant what Chad thought she meant, then Ryan most definitely thought there was something too.

Which was really blowing Chad's mind. He had never liked a guy before. His last relationship had been before he had stopped talking, and he was pretty sure that he had been dating a girl. He may have never gotten around to actually doing anything with her to know this for a fact, but he had only been fourteen and it's not like he hadn't wanted to!

Chad hadn't been very upset when his girlfriend had dumped him upon learning that he wasn't going to start talking again anytime soon and he wasn't too interested in whatever she thought he should be doing. Of course, he had had other things on his mind at the time. But afterwards, he just hadn't been interested in anyone that was around. Not to say that he wasn't just as sexually aware of girls as before, but something just hadn't seemed right. And it's not that he hadn't had offers because he had. Many girls found it mysterious and interesting that he would never utter a word, but he had never wanted to get into anything with any of them. And any others were put off by his withdrawn attitude. Chad had thought that he just wasn't interested because they were all too shallow and ignorant to understand him. And there were other things to capture his attention until he found a girl who wasn't a complete imbecile.

But this whole thing with Ryan was throwing him off completely.

Chad ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly.

He didn't even know the blond all that well! But after thinking it over the previous night, Chad knew that he was intrigued by Ryan. And not just for his looks, though those were tempting enough in themselves. Sure, the blonde's lies irritated the hell out of him, but he was sure that he wasn't so easy to put up with either. And it was interesting to try to figure out what was truth and what wasn't. But Chad got the feeling that Ryan didn't reveal his true self half of the time. Which made things even more frustrating!

Chad gripped his hair hard breathed deeply. All of this, he had gone through last night, and he still wasn't sure why he had decided to show Ryan his drawings. They were such an important, private part of him that he felt he would be baring his soul to the world if he revealed them. He'd have no protection, nothing to shield him from prying eyes.

Which brought him back to what Sharpay had told him. Did Ryan really feel that way about--? She was his sister. She would know, right? And Chad felt guilty once more that he hadn't trusted Ryan if what Sharpay said about him not lying to loved ones was true.

So why was he going through with this in the first place? He wasn't sure if he was gay or not, or what that had to do with anything to begin with. Chad still felt like he was straight, though these last few weeks had him in doubts (and not just because of Ryan). And he obviously felt strongly about keeping his sketches secret. And he didn't know the blond well enough to really have such a strong connection that warranted that kind of disclosure. So why?

Chad gazed up at the shower door.

'_Because I like him.'_

Somehow or other, Chad had started to like Ryan. He couldn't deny a physical attraction. His sketches made that apparent. Ryan was extremely good-looking. Chad liked to watch him and his bright smile, his clear blue eyes, his provocative hips, even his ridiculous outfits. Chad swallowed heavily, just thinking about Ryan in the shower, sans ridiculous outfit. No, he definitely had no complaints there.

And he liked how Ryan talked to him. Like he was a human being. He didn't leave him out of the conversation just because he didn't respond verbally, but he also didn't coddle him like his parents and most other adults liked to do. Ryan was friendly, but didn't spare his feelings. He teased Chad just as much as any of the others.

Chad found himself also liking Ryan's eccentricities. He was unpredictable. He didn't like to play by the rules, and often enjoyed throwing people off even more. It was always a marvel to watch Ryan dig himself into a whole, then make a bigger one just to climb back out.

So yeah, Chad could admit that he liked Ryan. How much, he wasn't sure. But enough that he was willing to expose a part of himself to the blond that he had never wanted anyone to see. By showing Ryan his sketches, Chad was hoping to make up for hurting the blond by not trusting him before. And hopefully, Ryan would see it as the sign it was and accept the apology. Because Chad really had no other ideas about what to do, and it wasn't like he could just ask anyone for help.

Chad stood from the bench and walked toward the shower door steadily, clutching his notebook tightly and taking a deep breath before pushing the door open.

Ryan's bright pink pajamas were discarded on the bench just outside the shower area, along with the white jeans and dark blue shirt and hat he planned to wear after. Steam billowed from the section that was designated for showering, and Chad took a moment to compose himself before heading in that direction, cursing to himself about open showers and idiot designers.

Chad stopped in the entryway when Ryan came into view.

The blond was standing under the showerhead farthest from the entrance, head tilted back and eyes closed, as the hot water cascaded down his body and into the drain. Chad's eyes trailed down his figure appreciatively, taking in the lean frame and pale skin.

Heat suffused Chad's face and he stumbled backwards, slipping on the wet tile and falling with a thud on the floor, only managing to keep a hold of his notebook just barely. Ryan turned quickly, startled by the noise, and squinted at the figure on the floor.

"Chad?" he questioned softly, turning off the water when he recognized the boy.

Chad scrambled up from the floor and averted his eyes from the wet boy in front of him, desperately trying not to look at the blonde's skin covered in droplets or the particular part of anatomy that was now in his immediate line of direction.

'_Oh my god oh my god naked naked naked!!'_ Chad's eyes widened drastically as he stared. Somehow, he had forgotten the fact that Ryan would most likely be naked and on display for Chad to see when he had followed him into the shower.

Chad knew he shouldn't be staring, and he forced himself to drag his eyes back up and focus on Ryan's face. The blonde's cheeks were tinged pink, though it could have just been because of the hot water. Ryan strode over to where he had left his towel and swiftly wrapped it around his waist, which made Chad both relieved and disappointed.

The blond turned back to look at Chad warily, blue eyes guarded and mouth drawn tight. Chad suddenly remembered why he was here. He walked quickly towards the blond, before he could lose his nerve, eyes on the floor to avoid staring at the tempting figure in front of him, and shoved his notebook at the boy, belatedly realizing that Ryan was still wet. However, Ryan took the notebook automatically, like an ingrained reaction, not even realizing what he was doing.

Chad looked up and met Ryan's eyes, staring at him in confusion. He gulped at his proximity to the half-naked boy, hyperaware of the heat coming off the blond and just how very close they were. His eyes zeroed in on the water dripping down from Ryan's hair, down his golden eyebrows, down his long nose, and over his pink, plump lips, wet with moisture and just begging to be kissed.

'_Oh god!'_ Chad's mind screamed at him, and he turned tail and fled out of the shower room, leaving a very confused, wet Ryan behind.

He ran until he was back in the safety of the cabin, catching his breath against his bed. The room was deserted, what with the rest of the guys taking advantage of their free morning and spending as much time as they could out of doors before they'd have to troop inside for the scheduled indoor activities.

Chad smacked his palms against his forehead, shaking his head and groaning. Why had he thought that was a good idea? Now, not only did Ryan think he was a freak, but a pervert as well.

'_What kind of person looks for another person in the shower? Unless, they were planning on being a voyeur and checking them out.'_

But Chad had honestly just followed Ryan there because he had known they would be alone, and Chad didn't want to have a huge audience for when he encountered him. It really hadn't registered that Ryan was going into the shower room to take a shower and of course he wouldn't be wearing anything, despite the fact that he had been thinking about Ryan in that very situation just a minute before he had entered the shower room.

Chad fell back against his bed and covered his eyes with his arm, feeling the humiliation and embarrassment rage throughout his body. What was worse was the tightening in his jeans from thinking about Ryan. All the blood in his body rushed south as he recalled all that pale wet skin and how Ryan's blond hair darkened in color under the water.

Chad's breathing increased rapidly and suddenly, a mental picture of Ryan's cock appeared behind his closed eyelids, and he threw his other arm over his face as well. His entire body felt hot, the air around him too warm, and he imagined what Ryan would look like when in the throes of passion. His mind helpfully supplied a picture of the blond lying with his back against the bed, pinned underneath Chad with legs open wide, thrusting up to meet him urgently, eyes closed and head thrown back, moaning uninhibitedly as Chad sucked at his neck.

Chad clenched his fists, but kept his arms over his face, blocking out the room and losing himself in his image of Ryan. He had no idea how long he stayed like that, lying against his bed and thinking of Ryan, gloriously naked and screaming his desire. But eventually he heard loud footfalls on the steps leading up to the cabin, and seconds later, the door burst open. Chad shot up in his bed and stared at the still half-naked Ryan framed in the doorway, holding Chad's notebook in one hand and clutching his towel around his waist with the other.

Chad felt his face heat up once more.

'_Did you just run all the way from the shower room with nothing but a towel on?'_

Ryan took a few seconds to catch his breath before he entered the cabin, shutting the door behind him and leaning up against the wood. He stared at Chad with a strange expression on his face, and Chad suddenly realized that maybe he should be trying to hide his current state from the blond boy. But he shrugged off the idea when Ryan swept his eyes down his body before resting his gaze on Chad's face. It was too late anyway.

They stared at each other for a moment, taking in each other's appearances. Then, Ryan flushed and turned his face away.

"Sorry," he said quietly, indicating his current nakedness. "I was just in a hurry and wanted to make sure I caught you before the others did."

Chad swallowed and briefly wondered if Ryan would have sought him out anyway, even if he had been surrounded by the other guys.

Ryan turned to look at Chad once again and held out his notebook quietly, seemingly holding his breath as Chad went to take it.

"I—" he began, before shaking his head and taking a deep breath. "Thank you. For letting me see them. I know it means a lot, and… I'm honored that you trust me with that."

Chad ducked his head and took a few steps back, not wanting the other to know just how nervous he was or had been by giving him the notebook. There was another moment of silence before Ryan spoke up again.

"You're really good, you know."

Chad looked up quickly and met Ryan's blue eyes, twinkling at him in happiness and something darker he couldn't define. His heartbeat sped up once again, and he looked down at the notebook in his hands, smiling softly in pleasure. Somehow, Chad felt as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Just the knowledge that Ryan now knew a part of him, but was criticizing him in any way made him ridiculously happy. Ryan wasn't judging him at all.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room relaxed, even though there was still an underlying heaviness hanging in the air between them. Chad looked up and grinned when Ryan beamed back at him. He had been forgiven.

Ryan pushed off the door with a new confidence and strode over to his bed, sitting with the towel still wrapped tightly around him.

"So," he grinned cheekily at Chad. "Do you always corner your victims in the shower or am I just that special?" Ryan laughed when Chad flushed, eyes widening.

"I'm just messing with you, Chad," he smiled. Chad rolled his eyes and grinned sheepishly. Yeah, he had been forgiven alright.

"But seriously," the blond continued, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he still didn't have any clothes on. "If you like to draw me so much, I could always model for you. I wouldn't mind."

The room fell quiet once again as Chad stared at the boy, heart thudding loudly against his chest. The air charged with electricity, and even Ryan seemed to realize the seriousness of what he said because he stopped grinning and returned Chad's gaze, blue eyes darkening slightly.

"If you want," he said softly, and Chad stepped forward quickly, realizing that yes, he did want. He wanted Ryan to model like crazy, and he wanted to draw him right now. Ryan seemed to realize his intent for he scooted back on the bed and watched quietly as Chad quickly dug out his pencil and eraser before flipping to a clean page in his notebook and settling down on his own bed.

"Where—" Ryan's voice came out, deeper than it usually was, causing Chad to snap his head up to look at the blond. Ryan swallowed and averted his gaze for a moment before speaking once again.

"Where do you want me?" he said quietly, cheeks lightly pink again, breaths coming out quickly. Ryan licked his lips suddenly, making them even pinker than usual.

'_Oh.'_ Chad registered, trying not to read more into that statement than Ryan obviously meant.

'_He's just modeling. He's just modeling,'_ he told himself as he got up off his bed and walked over to Ryan. The blond gazed up at him from his position on the bed, and Chad swallowed heavily.

Chad placed his hands on the blonde's shoulders, warm and moist still from his interrupted shower. He guided Ryan onto his back, the blond moving willingly as Chad positioned his arm across his torso and tilted his head to the side. Automatically, Ryan bent his knees slightly, moving his legs into a comfortable position on the bed. Chad swallowed again and stepped back, nodding his approval at the boy's dark blue eyes, which were gazing at him once again with an unknown expression.

Chad moved back to his notebook, settling himself down comfortably before looking up at the figure across the room. Ryan's eyes were locked onto him, and time seemed to slow down as Chad breathed deeply, gazing down the length of Ryan's body before placing his pencil against the paper and beginning.

The room was quiet, the only sound that of Chad's pencil scratching against the paper. Every time Chad looked up from his notebook, Ryan was gazing at him with that same expression, and the room seemed to grow more charged around them. Chad's pulse raced as his eyes roamed over Ryan's figure, defying the slow, almost still atmosphere that was taking place inside the room. Ryan hardly shifted at all, his only movement the slow carefully blinks and his rising and falling chest. Chad could only imagine that Ryan was feeling as heady as he was right now, which only made his pulse race faster.

Chad idly wondered in the back of his mind what would happen if the guys decided to come back right now, and slightly sped up his motions, not wanting this time with Ryan to be interrupted. He had a feeling that things were going to change, and if Troy and the others bounded in all of a sudden, this moment might never come around again.

Chad went over each line, each stoke he had made, wanting to make sure that this sketch of Ryan came out better than any of the ones he had done before. He took his time, wanting this moment to last, but knew that he couldn't keep drawing the boy forever. Reluctantly, he put his pencil down and nodded at the blond, indicating he was finished. Ryan sat up slowly, breathing deeply, as if he had held his breath the whole time.

Chad gazed at his drawing, taking in each little detail and telling himself why it could never compare to the real thing. He started when the bed shifted beside him, and looked up at Ryan who had settled down next to him.

"Can I see?" he said quietly, gesturing at the notebook in Chad's hands, his eyes never once leaving Chad's. Chad nodded slowly, seemingly drunk from Ryan's presence and shifted closer so that they could look at it together.

Ryan sat quietly and he took in the picture, Chad hyperaware of every breath the boy took. When Ryan turned to look at him, Chad met his gaze willingly, knowing that this moment was what everything had been leading up to. Ryan was suddenly a lot closer, so Chad set his notebook aside and took a deep breath, inhaling Ryan's scent and making him lightheaded.

They paused within an inch of each other, and Ryan closed his eyes. Chad took in all the features on his face, admiring his long eyelashes and delicate jaw before stopping at those lips. He placed a shaky hand on Ryan's waist, right above the towel, and leaned in, closing the distance between them until their lips met.

Chad's breath caught in his throat as they moved their lips together, liking the sensation. Ryan's lips were soft and moist, and warmth spread throughout his body from where they touched. Ryan made a soft noise deep in his throat and pressed closer, wrapping an arm around Chad's shoulders and tilting his head to the side, so that they fit better against each other. Chad tightened his hold on the blonde's waist and brought his other hand up to cup his cheek, wanting as much contact as possible.

They parted slowly and opened their eyes, Chad hadn't even realized he had closed them, gazing at each other for a moment before Ryan gave him a small smile and moved back in for another kiss. Chad happily complied.


	18. Chapter 18

Ryan exhaled slowly, bringing his arms down to rest in front of him. He kept his eyes closed and ignored the noise coming from just outside the cabin door. He hadn't had time for any yoga recently, and had taken the advantage of the girls' empty cabin once they'd been released from camp activities. He inhaled and raised his arms above his head once more, feeling the light stretch in his shoulders in back.

Kelsi had taken the others down to the lake, claiming it was time for swimming, especially for Taylor who was particularly uneasy around water. Sharpay had announced that she'd be paying a visit to Ms. Linderman and had promptly taken off as well, leaving Ryan with an empty cabin and general quiet. The guys were most likely off playing a game of basketball, and while Ryan did enjoy watching Chad actively work to make himself sweaty, he decided to leave the boys to their manly bonding and give himself some alone time.

The atmosphere in cabin fourteen had cleared significantly. The guys had seem to come to some unspoken agreement that the whole situation regarding Chad's notebook hadn't happened and were treating each other just as friendly as before. In fact, they were getting along so well that Shar and the girls had started complaining that they were monopolizing Ryan and had declared that Saturday would be a day for the girls. Ryan had shrugged at the looks of disbelief on the guys' faces and agreed. He had to admit that he kind of missed spending time with Gabi and the others. Not that he wasn't having fun with the guys, but they were always so insistent on being, well men. They were somehow even worse than the girls in that regard. Even Troy who, despite his dresses and makeup, was the most manly of the whole group.

It was extremely amusing to Ryan. He made a point of mentioning this to Masters during his last session, who in turn got frustrated that Ryan was once again turning the conversation around to whatever he wanted to discuss.

Ryan smiled, breaking his focus on his breathing and opening his eyes. He exhaled loudly and looked at the room around him, taking in each of the girls' personal areas and recognizing their characteristics in them. Sharpay's prim bed was decked out in shades of pink and white and had multiple fluffy pillows thrown about for extra comfort. The top of her dresser was largely taken over by most of her makeup, most of which Ryan had been witness to her buying.

Taylor's bed was neat and orderly, the surrounding area reflecting the girl's obsession radically. Kelsi's bed was covered with her entire music collection at the moment, as she had been going over everything with Martha earlier before they had taken off to swim. Ryan was sure the small girl had a few erotica novels tucked away somewhere. Martha's bed was almost as eye-catching as Sharpay's. She had multiple colors and styles all over the place. The only thing taking away from the grandness of the scene were the various bottles of medication littering her dresser. Gabi's bed seemed to be the most normal of the whole group, just a simple comforter and pillow, with a small brown teddy bear resting against the headboard.

Ryan shook his head and smiled. He couldn't imagine how this camp could be considered different from any other. Surely other kids at camp decorated their sleeping areas similarly, if not worse.

The blond took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to focus once again. He breathed out slowly and waited for a few seconds before breathing in again. This continued for several minutes until he was sure there was nothing distracting him, and then he slowly raised his arms and stretched forward, inhaling deeply.

He heard the sound of the door opening behind him, but continued with his stretch, waiting for whoever it was to speak. After several moments of silence, he furrowed his brow and opened his eyes, turning to look behind him.

Chad stood in the doorway, staring at him with a look that reflected bewilderment. Or at least that's what Ryan thought Chad was feeling. He could never be completely sure. Ryan smiled casually at the other and turned back to his original position, closing his eyes and going through the motions.

"Never seen a guy do yoga before?" he said softly after a few moments, amusement lacing his voice. He heard Chad clear his throat nervously behind him and move into the room.

"Actually, Ryan, dearest. I, myself, have been practicing yoga since I was old enough to feed myself," Ryan answered for Chad as he moved into his next position.

"You, Chad? Really? Why, I'd never have guessed. You don't seem the type who'd take to an exercise that didn't require lots of manly jumping around and the like."

"But, of course, Ryan. It's just that I must keep up appearances in front of the others, you know. I can't have them knowing that I actually like doing such activities. I'd lose my manly reputation if such a thing ever got out."

Ryan heard Chad make an exasperated noise in his throat, and he grinned, breathing out slowly as he returned to the original lotus position and opened his eyes. He blinked quickly, adjusting to the light once more and gazed at Chad who had moved so that he was standing in front of him, staring down at him with an annoyed expression on his face. Ryan grinned up at him cheekily, tongue pushing against the inside of his mouth as he withheld himself from laughing.

After a few seconds, the glare faded from Chad's eyes and he stepped back slowly, giving Ryan more room to get up. His expression changed to one of apprehension, and he flushed as he continued to gaze at the blond.

Ryan stood and turned to retrieve his hat, which he had left lying on Sharpay's bed before starting his exercise. He also took the time to compose himself mentally, letting his hands linger on his hat before he turned back to the other.

Since their momentous round of kissing last Wednesday, nothing further had happened between the two boys. They had gone back to their playful interactions, Ryan flirting profusely as usual and Chad going along, slinging a friendly arm around his shoulders occasionally. Ryan was somewhat disappointed at the lack of progress, but nothing had really been established between them afterwards. It's not like they could have talked things out, so Ryan was left in the dark as to what exactly Chad was feeling about him. He was worried about Chad's general dismissal of what had happened, but was happy that they were friends once again. And it wasn't like they really ever had time alone to themselves, being constantly surrounded by the other campers. So Ryan supposed he couldn't be too upset. But the least Chad could do was give some indication of what he was feeling! Couldn't he?

Ryan smiled at the boy in front of him, hiding his conflicting emotions, and twirled his room key around his finger jauntily.

"So, what's on the agenda for today, Mr. Manly Man?" he grinned, causing Chad to exhale and roll his eyes, but easing the tension that had enveloped the room from their being alone. Chad scowled at him and moved forward, tackling the blond onto Sharpay's bed and beginning an impromptu wrestling/tickling match. Ryan laughed heartily, only half-heartedly struggling to escape and didn't notice when his sister entered the room with the other girls trailing behind her. However, the two of them abruptly froze when she decided to make herself known.

"Ugh. Please, Ryan. If you insist on relieving your sexual frustrations, don't do it on my bed!" she complained, rolling her eyes in disgust. The girls all started giggling, still clad in bathing suits and towels, dripping water onto the floor. Chad blushed and jumped up off Ryan, hurriedly backing away. Ryan ignored the pang of disappointment and sat up, glaring mockingly at his sister.

"Don't be jealous, Shar," he replied haughtily, turning up his nose. "Not everyone can have such a loving relationship as Chad and I. In fact, we're aiming to get married just as soon as the summer is over. But if you insist on feeling that way about us, I guess I'll just have to find someone else to be my maid of honor. I'm sure Gabi will look wonderful in the lavender gown I've picked out."

The girls broke out in hysterics, clutching at one another, while Chad stared at Ryan in shock, not believing Ryan had just said that. Sharpay sniffed moodily and moved to push Ryan off her bed before going through her dresser drawers and picking out random pieces of clothing.

"Yes, well you best be not wearing a lavender gown yourself for your so called wedding. Mother would be shocked to learn that her only son couldn't get married in white because he was no longer pure."

"But of course, darling sister of mine. Chad would never take advantage of me before our wedding night, would you dearest?" Ryan turned to Chad and batted his eyelashes sickeningly at the other boy. Chad's eyes widened and he paled somewhat before Gabriella came over and took his arm, rubbing it soothingly.

"Don't you pay any attention to him, Chad," she said consolingly. "He just likes to mess with everyone's emotions." Chad stared down at the girl uneasily, grinning hesitantly at her until she beamed back at him. She released him and went to stand over by Ryan, enfolding the blond boy in her towel with her, hands entwined behind his neck.

"Will I really get to be one of your bridesmaids, Ryan? You're not just saying that?" she inquired, blinking big hopeful eyes at him.

"Most definitely, sunshine," he replied, kissing her on the forehead and wrapping his arms around her in turn before gazing over her shoulder at Chad. He was somewhat surprised to see the boy glaring at the two of them, and wondered briefly if that was a good sign for him when Sharpay interrupted him by throwing a white lace skirt at his head.

"Focus here, Ryan!" she demanded, going back to rummaging haphazardly through her clothes. Ryan grinned sheepishly and released Gabriella, removing the skirt and tossing it on the ever-growing pile of Sharpay's bed.

"And just what are we dressing for?" he asked, picking up a light pink blouse and inspecting it before moving it to one side. The other girls had already trooped into the cabin and were busy collecting their own clothes, Chad standing in the middle of the room looking lost.

"The trip to town, of course!" she stated exasperatedly, throwing another blouse aside.

"Trip to town?" Ryan repeated, glancing at Chad who shrugged at him in confusion. The girls squealed excitedly and ran to pick out heels and makeup to go with their respective outfits.

"Get with the program, Ryan! Yes, the trip to the town. I spoke with Linderman, and she agreed to giving us the rest of the day off and letting us go into town, considering everyone's been doing so well in their sessions." She stood holding a green halter top contemplatively for a few seconds before tossing it on to the bed with the other rejects. "Of course, we're going to have chaperones, but they'll be dispersed throughout the town and won't interfere unless things get out of hand. A hotel room has been booked for the night so we can all celebrate the short freedom away from this prison, but we're expected back here at two o'clock."

Ryan gazed at his sister in wonder. How had she managed to convince Linderman to go along with all of that? He shook his head, not really wanting to know, but glad that they'd get the rest of the day to themselves.

"The whole camp?" he asked, just to make sure. Sharpay sighed in frustration.

"Yes, the whole camp!" she answered, throwing her hands up in the air and glaring at him before returning her attention to her drawers. "I need you to help me pick out an outfit," she declared, throwing another pink blouse over her head.

Ryan stared at her in amusement and turned to look at Chad, smiling at the stunned look on the other's face. He grinned and crossed his eyes when he caught the other boy's attention, receiving one of Sharpay's shirts in his face for his trouble. He laughed and moved the shirt to the bed to avoid further damage. Sharpay growled in frustration when she heard him laughing.

"Now, Ryan! We haven't got all the time in the world! And I fully expect you to dress to match," she prattled on as Ryan moved to assist her, nodding indulgingly. This was going to be fun.

It took another two hours before the rest of the camp was ready to leave, and they had secured transportation for everybody. The ride over was uneventful, unless you count Kelsi in her attempts to undress both Gabriella and Zeke at the same time. But Sharpay stepped in before things could get too far, and Kelsi spent the rest of the ride with her arms tied behind her using Troy's cotton scarf, though, whether this was an actual punishment for the girl remained unclear.

As soon as Ryan set foot on the ground, Sharpay whisked him off to the small outlet stores on the side of the tiny town. He didn't have to time to check where Chad or the other guys were headed, but he sighed and went along with his sister anyway. He'd catch up with them later.

Shopping with Sharpay was always fun, even though the focus always ended up on her. Ryan never complained though. He liked dressing his sister up in different types of clothing. She could wear practically anything, though she was extremely picky with what she bought.

Ryan grinned as he tried on a large flowered hat while he waited for his sister to finish at the register. He snatched some sunglasses up and examined himself in the small mirror above the display, making random faces at himself. Just outside the store, he watched Gabi and Taylor exit the bookstore across the street. Ryan waved cheerfully when they saw him, and the two girls promptly crossed the street to come over.

"Ladies," Ryan greeted with a sophisticated nod.

"Nice hat," Taylor commented, gesturing at his head in amusement. Gabi giggled quietly beside her.

"I thought so myself," Ryan agreed playfully, turning to view himself in the mirror again, pursing his lips at his reflection.

"You can't be serious, Ryan," Sharpay said, coming up behind him and sweeping the hat off his head, tossing it back on to the stand where he'd found it. The girls erupted in laughter as he stood there pouting at Sharpay's reflection in the mirror. The blond girl rolled her eyes and huffed, turning to stare out the window, contemplating the other stores. There weren't many left considering how small the town was and how fast Sharpay dismissed half of the small boutiques.

"This can't be all there is! Where's the shoe store in this damn place?" she complained at Ryan, looking ready to start pouting herself. Surprisingly, it was Gabriella who spoke up.

"Oh, there's one at the end of the street," she said cheerily. Sharpay stared at her blankly, but she just continued on, unaware.

"It's the nicest little place. They don't have much, but everything is just so lovely. Last year I bought the cutest wedges! They had a white lace strap and the prettiest flower design!"

Ryan watched in bemusement as the girl continued to babble, Sharpay gazing at her in bewilderment. It was clear that his sister had no idea what to make of the bubbly girl, so after a few more moments, she dismissed her and sauntered out the door without a word, knowing Ryan would follow. And follow he did, slipping his arm around Gabriella's waist and escorting the two girls out the door along with him. Gabi had clearly managed to get her hands on something and was under some kind of influence, but when Ryan glanced at Taylor she shrugged back at him in confusion, not knowing either. Ryan sighed, but smiled and followed his sister to the shoe store, nodding agreeably at Gabi every few seconds as she continued to chatter.

Like Gabi had said, the shoe store wasn't much. It was half the size of one of the cabins back at the camp, but there were some interesting things to be found in the small area. What Ryan found most interesting was a suspicious looking Zeke skulking at the back of the store. The blond left Gabi with Taylor while Sharpay browsed the selection and crept up behind the unsuspecting boy.

"What are you doing?" he asked, causing Zeke to gasp and whirl around quickly. The tall boy shifted his eyes around the room carefully before sighing, raising a hand to rub at his forehead in relief.

"Oh man, Ryan. You freaked me out."

"Uh huh," Ryan replied, quirking an eyebrow at the other, not failing to notice how Zeke's sweatshirt seemed to bunch up more than usual around the middle. Ryan grinned evilly and wrapped his hand around Zeke's bicep, pulling the other boy down to his level.

"Zeke!" he proclaimed loudly, catching the attention of the rest of the store. "What a surprise to see you here!" Zeke widened his eyes at Ryan and shook his head minutely, only causing Ryan's grin to grow.

"Though, it must be somewhat disappointing to have traveled this whole way just to get here when there clearly isn't anything that would be useful to you. I'd have thought you'd be with the others down at the ice cream parlor. I'm sure they're wondering where you are."

Zeke stared at Ryan, confused. The blond turned to the face the room, dragging Zeke with him. He gripped the boy's arm tighter and smiled innocently up at him.

"You know! That little ice cream place down the street. Don't tell me you haven't tried it?" Ryan gasped dramatically, as if offended at the very thought. "Well, we can't have that now. Can we?" He tugged the dumbfounded boy in the direction of the door, passing an indignant Sharpay on the way. He smiled apologetically at her.

"Sorry, Shar. But I'm sure you can finish here without me. Zeke, on the other hand, wouldn't be able to find his way around this place if his life depended on it. He needs my help. Isn't that right, Zeke?" he turned to the boy, squeezing his arm in warning. Zeke nodded quickly. Ryan beamed and turned back to his sister.

"You see? So I'll just drop him off with the guys at the parlor and meet you later at the hotel, okay?" he smiled and walked out of the door, not giving her a chance to reply, tossing a cheerful wave over his shoulder.

Ryan released Zeke once they were a good distance away from the store, tucking his thumbs into his belt loops and humming pleasantly as he strolled along down the street.

"Dude," Zeke intoned, staring dumbly at the blond as he walked beside him.

"I want an ice cream sundae with chocolate and caramel syrup and nuts," Ryan said, smiling up at the other. Zeke gaped speechlessly at him.

"You're welcome," Ryan smirked.

After Zeke grudgingly bought Ryan his sundae and a small chocolate cone for himself, they turned onto the next street, walking along silently as they ate, casually observing the other campers as they went about the town.

Ryan had no idea what the tall boy had taken from the store, but he kept quiet, letting it go. Drawing attention to it at the moment would likely only get them in trouble with one of the chaperones and their trip cancelled short. Zeke also said nothing more on the matter, though that was probably so that he could pretend he hadn't been stealing in the first place. Ryan smiled and decided to let Zeke pretend. He'd figure it out soon enough.

"Zeke! Ryan!" he heard ahead of him and glanced up to see Troy waving enthusiastically a short distance away in front of a sports store, wearing a short white sundress. Chad and Jason were leaning up against the wall behind him, and Ryan beamed at the trio, glad to finally be back with the group.

"Yo," Zeke greeted as they walked up to the boys.

"Dude, is that ice cream?" Jason asked, gawking at the small plastic cup in Ryan's hand.

"No, doofus. It's steak and eggs," Zeke replied, punching his friend lightly on the arm.

"Where'd you guys get ice cream?" Troy blinked at them, blue eyes glinting with hunger.

"Back there a ways," Ryan said, gesturing vaguely behind him. He grabbed the small spoon and took a bite, licking the excess off the plastic and his lips. He grinned inwardly when he noticed Chad staring pointedly at his mouth with a dazed expression on his face.

'_Score, one for me, nothing for Chad.'_

"I want some!" Troy declared.

"No way, man," Jason replied, pushing himself further against the wall as if afraid of the ice cream suddenly attacking him.

"Dude, you totally need to eat," Zeke reprimanded, glaring at the stick figure of his friend. Jason shook his head vigorously.

"Forget it," he said. "Ice cream makes you fat."

"Dude!" Troy exclaimed. "You look like a pencil! A bit of ice cream will do you some good. When was the last time you ate?"

Ryan went over to Chad as the two started to get into it, arguing back and forth. He lifted his cup in offering and smiled at the silent boy.

"Want some?"

Chad lifted an eyebrow questioningly. Ryan took a moment to pout inwardly that Chad was no longer staring at his lips. He shrugged it off on the outside and grinned, nodding at the arguing boys sheepishly.

"That might take a while. Thought you might not want to wait."

Chad stared for a second, then grinned, taking the cup from Ryan's hands. Their fingers brushed against each other lightly, and Ryan resisted the urge to link them together. Chad dipped the spoon into the cup, lifting a big portion, before ducking his head to place it in his mouth. Ryan watched with lidded eyes as Chad slowly dragged the spoon from his mouth. A shiver traveled up his spine. He so wanted to be that spoon.

Chad caught his eye and grinned up at him through lowered lashes. Ryan's heart thudded quickly against his chest. He turned and leaned up against the wall next to Chad, bumping shoulders companionably as he settled in to watch the fight.

'_And score one for Chad.'_


	19. Chapter 19

Chad was somewhat in awe of the large hotel room that had been provided for them for their 'party.' He was a bit dubious as to how Sharpay managed to secure this whole trip for them in the first place, not including arranging for a room to be reserved.

He stared around him at the scene, taking in the tables off to the side, loaded with food and drinks. Couches were placed strategically throughout the room, but still provided a large space in the center for dancing.

Chad sighed. This was already starting to look reminiscent of the impromptu dancing extravaganza in the rec room, the most notable difference being that this one was obviously planned for. Balloons and streamers were strewn about, and there was a disco light hanging from the ceiling, though it wasn't on at the moment. Campers were already dancing, some song by Robert Plant setting the current atmosphere.

Chad wandered over to one of the tables laden with food. Most of it was finger food, but he wasn't sure he was in the mood at the moment. He glanced at the plastic cups filled with soda, wondering if they were safe to drink. He didn't honestly think the camp staff would allow alcohol, but then the adults did seem to be conveniently scarce at the moment.

Chad shifted uncomfortably as another camper brushed up against him in her attempt to get at the food. The girl smiled dazedly at him and opened her mouth to say something, but he turned and fled before she got the chance. He sighed once he was a good distance away and searched the room desperately for someone he knew.

As soon as they had set foot in the hotel, Ryan had grabbed Troy and taken off, briefly pausing to say that they'd catch up with him in a bit. There had been no sign of either of them since. Zeke had dragged Jason straight to the food tables, muttering about getting him to eat something, but as Chad couldn't locate the two anywhere around the tables, he figured they must have moved on. Even the girls seemed to be mysteriously absent, the only person Chad could easily identify being Sharpay in another pink ensemble. But even he wasn't that desperate to go over to her for company.

He stood off to the side and idly watched the goings-on of the party. He had to admit he was slightly jealous that Ryan had disappeared with Troy. Chad didn't think anything was going on there, but it still stung a bit that the blond had chosen the crossdresser over him.

Chad scowled at nothing in particular and crossed his arms. He supposed he couldn't blame the two. Troy was just an innocent in this, and Chad couldn't really be angry with him. However, he couldn't be properly angry with Ryan either. It wasn't like the blond had any commitments to him. Since their kiss, Chad hadn't given him any indication that he wanted to continue their relationship in that manner. He had reverted to his friendly old self around the blond. It wasn't a wonder Ryan was confused out of his mind.

'_But dammit! I'm not good at this whole being gay thing!'_ Chad growled in frustration.

If he was completely honest with himself, he had kind of freaked out. Not about the kiss. That had been great. No, it had been afterwards when he didn't know what to do with himself, how to act around Ryan or the others. So he had decided to ignore it for the time being. But Ryan hadn't said anything to him either, so he had assumed it was okay.

'_But I still want to be around him!'_

Chad bit his lip, irritated at himself. He hadn't reacted well the last time he had been put in this situation with all the people dancing and whatnot. No wonder Ryan had taken off with Troy. And Troy had actually wanted to dance last time as well.

Chad sighed and slumped his shoulders dejectedly. He suddenly wanted all the drinks to have been spiked with some kind of alcohol. It would probably make him feel better if all his senses were dulled and he couldn't feel at all.

He was startled out of his thoughts when a firm hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to see Zeke beaming down at him with Martha and Gabi hanging off either of his arms, both moving in time with the beat. Jason was right behind him, hastily eating some kind of sandwich while Taylor held a plate piled with food for him and was rattling off random pieces of information at him.

"Hey, dude. What's up?" Zeke grinned at him. Chad shrugged and glanced at the girls still holding on to him, raising an eyebrow in question. Zeke tilted his head sheepishly.

"What can I say? The ladies love me."

Chad rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway. At least, he hadn't been abandoned. In fact, now that he thought about it, since coming to Camp HumuHumu Chad had gotten used to constantly being around other people. He stilled for a moment and took in this piece of information. He hadn't readily interacted with others for about three years since he stopped talking, and now here he was, expecting it. Chad furrowed his brow and wondered when that happened. All that popped into his mind was Ryan, latching onto his arm when he had first arrived and dragging him off to introduce him to the camp.

'_It was all because of Ryan,'_ Chad realized. He shook his head, somewhat in disbelief. That boy had a crazy kind of power, not only on him but the rest of the camp as well. He wasn't allowed to ponder any further, though as Zeke lowered his head and gazed at him in concern.

"You alright, man?" he asked. Chad pushed away his thoughts and decided to pursue them later. He nodded at the other and grinned when he got a friendly thump on his back. Seemingly satisfied, Zeke nodded and turned his attention back to the two girls accompanying him. Chad briefly wondered where Kelsi had disappeared to, but then dropped the issue, figuring he didn't really want to know.

"Oh my god. Is that Troy?!" Jason suddenly exclaimed around a mouthful of food, prompting the rest of the group to turn their heads in the direction he was indicating. Chad choked on his lungful of air and watched as Ryan approached the group, dragging a reluctant Troy behind him. Ryan had somehow changed into a pair of tight fitting dark blue jeans and skintight black shirt that hugged his figure very well. However, the real shock was that Troy had also ended up in a different set of clothes. Boy's clothes.

Chad stared in amazement. Not once over the course of the camp had Troy worn one piece of clothing that could be considered masculine, but now he was sporting a worn pair of blue jeans and a matching blue polo. His face was clear of makeup, and his wig had mysteriously disappeared, leaving a shock of short brown hair with somewhat longish bangs that had been swept to the side of his face.

'_Troy's a guy!'_ Chad's mind went into overload. Technically, he had known this. After all, despite his usual appearance, Troy behaved like the rest of them. But actually seeing the evidence right before his eyes was a bit too much for him to handle.

"Wow," he heard Gabi breathe from beside him, and he turned incredulous eyes on to her.

'_What do you mean wow?! That's not normal!'_ he screamed at her, getting flustered when she continued to stare at the crossdresser—who wasn't crossdressing.

Chad turned when he felt the two come up beside him, and immediately flushed when Ryan beamed up at him. He wasn't sure what was more disturbing to him, the fact that Troy was dressed as a guy or the fact that Chad was most likely going to accept it with just one smile from the blond boy.

"Hey guys," Ryan greeted warmly, largely ignoring the fact that Troy was squirming uncomfortably behind him and trying to escape from Ryan's grasp without drawing more attention to himself. Chad felt that his attempts were in vain. He was stuck in his position.

"Dude! What did you do to Troy?" Zeke asked bluntly, causing the boy to freeze and giving Ryan the opportunity to draw Troy forth, presenting him to the group with a flourish of his hands. Troy stood shaking in the middle of the group, eyes darting wildly back and forth, trying not to catch anyone's eyes. Chad winced in sympathy for his friend.

"Doesn't he look fabulous?" Ryan inquired, staring at Troy, obviously pleased with himself.

"He sure does," Gabi agreed, startling Troy who turned to look at the girl with bewildered eyes.

"He looks great!" Martha said to Ryan, prompting a round of similar exclamations to the boy, congratulating him on his work. Chad watched as Gabi stepped up to Troy, holding his gaze steadily and grabbed the boy's hand, smiling up at him from lowered lashes.

"You do look great," she told him softly and blushed prettily when he quirked a small smile back at her. The pair went unnoticed by the rest of the group as they questioned Ryan on how he had managed to accomplish his feat, but Chad grinned as Gabriella led Troy off to the dance floor. He went willingly, already relaxing significantly, and let himself be pulled into a slow dance with the girl, bodies moving together sensuously, never taking their eyes off each other.

Chad didn't know how long he stood watching the pair, but when he focused back on the group, Ryan had once again disappeared. Chad looked around perplexedly, but he only managed to spot Zeke and Martha dancing a short distance away, and Jason eating off to the side while Taylor started up another conversation, this time with Sharpay who had somehow appeared.

Chad huffed in frustration and set off around the room in search of the blond boy. He circled the crowd dancing in the middle and stuck close to the food tables, hoping he wouldn't have to go through the masses to find Ryan. He blinked when he came across a pair of open double doors on the other side of the room, leading outside into the night. Where had that come from?

'_Well,'_ Chad shrugged to himself. _'Only place I haven't looked."_ And he walked out into the cool night air.

He paused for a moment to adjust to the sudden darkness, then continued on, and promptly grinned when he spotted a figure sitting on the cement a short distance away, twirling a fedora in his hands.

Ryan started slightly when Chad sat down beside him, but then smiled up at him and relaxed.

"Hey," he said quietly and turned back to stare into the darkness. Chad made a noncommittal noise in his throat and bent his knees comfortably, resting his hands on the ground beside him. He settled in and stared up at the sky, relishing the quiet. After a few more moments of silence, Ryan shifted and tilted his head towards Chad.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked softly. "Shouldn't you be inside partying with everyone else?"

Chad turned towards Ryan and raised an eyebrow at him.

'_Shouldn't I be saying the same thing about you?'_

Ryan chuckled quietly and ducked his head.

"I just came out here to think for a bit. Kinda hard to do with all that's going on in there," he said in answer to Chad's raised eyebrow.

'_Wanna elaborate?'_ Chad bumped his shoulder into Ryan's, getting another chuckle for his efforts. He knew Ryan didn't really understand him, no one did, but sometimes he got the feeling that the blond knew exactly what he was trying to say. Or maybe Ryan just responded to what he thought Chad was trying to say and just happened to guess right a lot of the time.

"It's just Troy, you know," Ryan continued softly. "I've known since last summer that he had a thing for Gabriella."

Chad stared at Ryan in disbelief, causing the boy to laugh.

"No, really. Despite everything, despite the dresses and the makeup and the hair, Troy is as straight as an arrow. I'm not sure it's something he ever consciously thought about. I'm not sure he ever even truly realized his feelings for her. But I always knew."

Chad kept still and just watched Ryan, taking in his profile cast in darkness.

"You see, I'm not sure if you ever noticed. But Troy's image is an imitation of a bunch of other girls' looks. I'm not sure how he goes about it for the rest of the year, but whenever he found a girl at camp that he admired, he would copy her style, not realizing that he actually admired her for other reasons."

Chad thought about that for a moment. He hadn't seen signs of that happening this summer, but then he hadn't known Troy for that long.

"However, when he met Gabriella, he found someone who he couldn't just imitate the way he had with the other girls. Gabi's beauty isn't something that he could reflect onto himself because most of it comes from her as a person. Which is probably why he's been fixated on her for so long without knowing it."

Ryan ducked his head and grinned wryly. He closed his eyes for a moment before continuing.

"Troy's a good guy. However, he wasn't attracting Gabi's attention because he was always dressed like a girl. I just thought it was time for the two of them to actually notice each other." Ryan chucked and stared down at the ground, still twirling his fedora between his hands.

Chad stared at the blond, taking in his subdued posture. The boy grew quiet beside him and continued to stare down, thoughts still clouding his mind.

Belatedly, Chad realized that Ryan was slightly bitter about the whole situation. He furrowed his brow suddenly recognizing that Ryan had liked Troy at one point. Chad wasn't sure if he believed everything Ryan had told him, but he now understood Ryan's behavior towards Troy at the beginning of the summer. The blond had probably been hurt and was just taking out his frustration on Troy in the only way he knew how.

Chad bit his lip as he gazed at Ryan. He was sorry that that had happened to him. And Ryan couldn't even be properly angry at Troy because the crossdresser most likely had no idea.

Chad shifted closer to Ryan, causing the blond to look up at him, and took one of his hands gently in his own, squeezing comfortingly. Ryan gazed at him with confused eyes before looking down at their joined hands. Chad's was slightly larger, and his darker skin made Ryan appear that much more pale and delicate.

Chad rubbed Ryan's palm with the tips of his fingers before slowly linking their fingers together. Ryan looked up at him and smiled, prompting Chad to do so in return.

'_Whatever happened before, it's me here now. And I want you to be with me. Always.'_ Chad's heart started thudding loudly when he realized he meant that. Ryan had become important to him, whether it was because the blond had been the first one to reach out to him or if it was because he didn't mind putting up with Chad's silence. But Ryan had. And Chad was grateful. He had never thought about how lonely he had been before. But now that he knew Ryan, the world didn't seem so bad.

Ryan blushed pink and ducked his head, smiling, as if he had somehow picked up on what Chad was feeling. Chad grinned and got a sudden idea. He knew how to make sure Ryan knew exactly what he was thinking about.

Chad stood abruptly, bringing Ryan with him, and started tugging him back into the hotel. Ryan started to protest, but was quieted when Chad looked back at him and smiled, and allowed himself to be pulled back inside, where the campers continued to party, the music enveloping them and the crowd seeming to swallow them as soon as they moved near.

The track suddenly switched from whatever it had been previously playing to some kind of dance mix that Chad vaguely recognized. The two passed by Troy and Gabi who waved cheerfully when they saw them, as well as Zeke who was now dancing with Taylor. Chad continued pulling until they had reached the middle of the room, directly underneath the disco ball that was now turning and flashing its colored lights all over the room.

Chad grinned and pulled Ryan close to him, surprising the blond who had not been expecting to stop in the middle of the dancers. However, Chad stopped when it finally came down to what to do. He hesitated and stared down at Ryan, not sure exactly where everything went or even how to go about this. Ryan seemed to pick up on this, though, because he smiled up at Chad in the next moment, and grabbed his arms, pulling them around his waist. Chad swallowed as Ryan linked his own hands behind Chad's neck and started moving. He leaned forward to whisper in Chad's ear when Chad continued to just stand there.

"Don't think about it. Just move your body with mine."

Chad shivered at his voice, but complied and was rewarded with a nuzzle to his throat as Ryan shifted closer. Chad's heart was beating rapidly, but he breathed deeply and held Ryan tighter, following the blonde's instructions and not thinking about it. He was surprised when he found that it was easier than he had thought. His hips were moving in time with Ryan's, and Chad couldn't help but think that was pretty damn sexy.

'_I'm gonna have to start dancing more often.'_

Chad grinned as Ryan moved to bump noses with him, resting their foreheads together. Chad vaguely registered Kelsi jumping Jason out of the corner of his vision, before he got lost in the eyes of the boy in front of him.


	20. Chapter 20

Ryan stretched back, working out the kinks in his spine and neck. The sun glared down on him brightly, and Ryan briefly pouted at the thought that he'd probably get a burn from staying out too long, but he quickly dismissed it when he heard Jason exclaim loudly and returned to watching the guys playing a quick game of basketball before their afternoon activities.

He smiled as he watched Chad move around the court, dodging Zeke's hands and passing to Troy who quickly dribbled to the net and scored. Chad pumped his fist in the air and did the whole manly thumping on the back with Troy, smiling breathlessly the whole time. Ryan rolled his eyes at the sight, but grinned regardless and shifted forward on the pavement, careful not to dislodge the pile in his lap.

As he wasn't playing, the rest of the group had elected him to be the one to hold onto their belongings while they engaged in their daily testosterone ritual. Ryan glanced down at the pile. Besides his own stuff, he had in his possession three cell phones, three mp3 players, one sweater, and Troy's big bag of girly manliness. He shook his head in bemusement and looked up as the guys started walking in his direction.

"Dude, not fair," Jason complained to Zeke. "Troy shouldn't be allowed to play. It's not right to attack a girl."

"Um, Jason? Troy's a guy, if you haven't noticed," Zeke replied.

"I know that! But I can't block him while he looks like that! It's just not right!"

The guys all laughed at Jason's indignant expression. Zeke glanced down at his watch and stopped, clamping his hand down on Jason's shoulder.

"Shit! You guys! We have like fifteen minutes before 'Kiddie Time' with Ms. Johnson."

"What?!" Jason exclaimed, suddenly rushing forward towards Ryan. "I've got a session with Masters!"

Ryan leaned back, hands in the air while Jason grabbed his belongings from his lap and promptly rushed off to the showers. Zeke quickly did the same and followed him. Ryan, stared after them, eyes wide, wondering whether he should feel violated or not.

Troy picked up his bag from Ryan's side and gazed wistfully after the others. He scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. He wouldn't have time to shower before activities if the others were still in there.

"Here you go," Ryan said, handing the crossdresser his cell, so as to avoid another almost molestation.

"I guess I'll go see Gabriella," Troy said, turning to Chad who shrugged at him and made a dismissive gesture with his hand. Troy smiled suddenly at the thought of the girl and rushed off happily towards the cabins.

"See you in a bit!" he yelled, already a good distance away.

"No hanky panky, Troy!" Ryan called after him playfully, receiving a vague wave for his trouble. Ryan turned back to Chad, smiling up at him from his spot on the ground.

"Have fun?" he asked. Chad fell to his knees in front of him and nodded once before leaning in for a kiss.

Ryan hummed happily and wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders, ignoring Chad's sweaty condition in favor of deepening the kiss. Chad braced his hands on the ground on either side of the blond, and pushed harder against Ryan's lips, taking as much as he could. Ryan closed his eyes tightly, suddenly giddy from Chad's aggressiveness, aftereffects from the high of his game.

Chad licked at Ryan's mouth, causing Ryan to whimper and thread his fingers through the curls at the base of Chad's neck. He opened his lips to Chad's tongue, allowing it inside to plunder his mouth thoroughly. Ryan tightened his grip in Chad's hair, pulling the boy closer and licking his own way into Chad's mouth.

Now this, he was enjoying. Not that he didn't enjoy watching Chad play, but now he was taking an active part in making Chad happy. And this kiss was clearly making Chad happy.

Chad shifted his weight to one hand, bringing the other to wrap around Ryan's waist. He licked at Ryan's bottom lip before once again sealing his mouth tightly against Ryan's.

Ryan whimpered, liking Chad's enthusiasm. They hadn't had any time alone since the party a week ago, and Ryan was pleasantly surprised to discover that Chad was a brilliant kisser. Their previous kisses had been sweet and painfully innocent. But this one was much hotter. Chad obviously had no qualms about being forceful with him. It made Ryan wonder if Chad had previous experience or if he was just naturally gifted. But then Ryan realized he probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference, having no previous experience himself.

Chad's tongue moved against his, demanding attention, and Ryan promptly obeyed, letting his thoughts drift away, replacing them with pure sensation. He pressed himself against Chad more fully, wanting more. His hands were tugging at Chad's hair frantically, but as he anticipated, all good things must come to an end.

Chad gave one last lick to Ryan's mouth before pulling away, breathing heavily. Ryan opened his eyes slowly and stared into Chad's, loving the deep brown color staring back at him.

"That was nice," he said quietly.

Chad grinned, flashing his teeth quickly, before he pulled back and grabbed his key from Ryan's lap. Ryan bemoaned the loss of Chad's arm around him and looked up when Chad stood, pouting disappointedly.

"Going off to shower as well?" he intoned moodily. Chad flashed a smile at him and leaned down to press one last kiss against Ryan's lips before taking off towards the showers.

Ryan watched him go until he was out of sight, then sighed and slumped back against his hands. However, he smiled to himself, thinking about Chad's mouth against his. He grinned happily and stretched his arms up in victory before falling back against the ground. He frowned briefly in confusion and glanced down, taking note of the blue mp3 still in his lap.

'_Chad left his mp3!'_ Ryan thought, holding the player up to inspect. He smiled up at it, once more becoming giddy with thoughts of Chad.

Ryan quickly unwound the earphones and stuck the buds in his ears, relaxing back against the pavement as he put the player on shuffle. A slow beat filled his ears and after a few seconds a girl's voice joined the melody.

'_Is this the Spice Girls?'_ Ryan asked himself, recognizing the voices after a moment. He grinned up at the sky and folded one arm underneath his head. _'So cute.'_

As Ryan went through a few more songs, he was delighted to find Chad listened to a variety of genres and he didn't discriminate against any artists. It made him warm inside when he came across a few show tunes in the mix as well.

He was listening to 'Take a Bow' by Muse when the guys came back from the showers. Ryan smiled up at Chad and accepted the hand up, dusting himself off when he was standing. He paused the song and pulled off the earphones, winding them around the player once again before giving it back to Chad.

"Nice tunes," he said playfully, prompting Chad to sling an arm around his shoulders and lead him after the others as they headed towards the main building. Ryan grinned happily, but resisted the urge to wrap his own arm around Chad. He had no idea what reaction he would receive if he even tried. The thought made Ryan somewhat disheartened. Chad was still a mystery enough to make Ryan scared of acting too affectionate while the others were around.

Chad nudged Ryan with his hip as they walked, flicking the brim of his hat when he had the blonde's attention.

"Hm?" Ryan gazed up at the taller boy. Chad flashed a grin at him and shook his head, shrugging. Then he nodded his head towards the others.

Ahead of them, Jason was fussing with his sweater, nervously babbling to Zeke and clearly distressed about his appearance.

"Dude, it's a hundred degrees outside. Lose the sweater!" Zeke was saying.

"No way, man. I can't believe how much I've been eating. Have you seen my stomach?"

"Yeah, dude. You look healthy. That's a good thing."

"Don't give me that! Healthy is just another word for fat!" Jason replied angrily. Ryan exchanged a glance with Chad.

"Dude. Jason. It's better than how you were looking before."

Jason stopped in his tracks and gaped at Zeke with disbelief. Ryan felt like planting his face in his hand.

'_Smooth, Zeke.'_

"What?" Zeke asked, staring back at his friend. Jason clenched his jaw angrily and took off at a run. Zeke stared after him in confusion.

"What did I do?" he asked as Ryan and Chad came up to him.

"There's a word, Zeke. Tact. Look it up," Ryan retorted, continuing past the boy with Chad in tow. Zeke followed after them.

"Well, it's true! He looks loads better now!"

Ryan rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond. He walked into the room designated for that afternoon and sat on the floor next to Kelsi and Taylor, leaving Chad and Zeke to sit with Troy and Gabi. He smiled at the girls and turned to face the front, anxious to get this activity over with. He wasn't too fond of Ms. Johnson.

However after fifteen minutes of playing Knots with the other campers, Ryan couldn't take it anymore.

"Ms. Johnson? Would you mind terribly if I was excused for the rest of the hour? I'm not feeling too well," Ryan inquired as his group moved to start another knot.

The tall woman looked down her nose at him, green eyes glinting sharply. Ryan reminded himself that he was not a bug about to be squashed under her shoe.

"What's wrong this time?" she asked, her harsh voice rubbing Ryan the wrong way. He narrowed his eyes at her, wondering why he even bothered to be nice to her in the first place when she had never bothered to do the same for him.

"Well, Ms. Johnson, I've been cramping something awful if you must know. Shar's always telling me how I need to take it easy during this time of the month, but I'm always just so busy, you know? I really should take her advice, though, so I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to let me go back the cabin where I can bitch about my pain in peace." Ryan glared up at the woman, not even bothering to put on an act for her.

"Shut your yap, Evans. Just go," she bit back.

"Thanks ever so much, Ms. Johnson," Ryan replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. He turned to head out of the room when she spoke up again.

"It's just that kind of attitude that's your problem, Evans. It's no wonder that you're looking at another summer here."

Ryan stiffened at her words, but refused to turn around and respond. That would only prove her right. He forced himself to continue walking out of the room, trying to keep his steps light and his shoulders straight.

However as soon as he was out of sight, he stormed down the hall, heading towards the rec room, fumbling around for his cell phone. He furiously searched for his father's number, fingers so vicious at times that he had to go back after pushing the wrong button. His thumb was right above the call button when he stopped, breathing harshly. He stood in the middle of the hall and took a deep breath, trying to get himself under control.

What was he going to do? Call his father, complain that the staff was mistreating him and ask for Johnson to be fired? What good would that do? He'd still be stuck in this camp, wasting his summer away.

Ryan waited until his breathing evened out then calmly put his phone away. He bounced on his feet a few times and shook himself lightly before heading into the rec room. Yoga seemed like a good idea.

But Jason was already sitting there, curled up with his arms wrapped around himself on a sofa in the corner. He looked up when Ryan came in, but quickly turned away again.

"Hey," Ryan said quietly, moving to sit next to him.

"Hey," Jason replied after a beat.

"Already done?" Ryan asked. Jason shifted so that he was completely turned away from him, and Ryan took that as a cue to shut up. So he was surprised when the other boy answered.

"Yeah, Masters let me out early."

Ryan chuckled softly.

"He tends to do that when things don't go the way he planned."

"I guess," Jason shrugged. Ryan gazed at Jason for a few moments, taking in the bulky sweater and jeans that he had had to borrow from Chad. Ryan had been surprised at how much weight Jason had gained in only a week, but then he had been eating nonstop since Saturday. His cheeks were full and slightly round, whereas they had been hollowed and sunken before. He really did look much healthier.

"You're not, you know," Ryan said slowly, hoping Jason wouldn't blow up on him.

"Not what? Fat?" Jason asked bitingly. Ryan winced.

"Well, yeah."

"I'm not stupid, you know."

"Did I say that?" Ryan responded.

"Look," Jason said, turning a bit so that he could see Ryan out of the corner of his eye. "I know I'm not the healthiest person in the world, but I don't appreciate being made fun of."

"Jason, I'm not," Ryan said, leaning forward slightly. "It's good that you're eating again. And I'm not trying to imply that you're fat or anything. Neither was Zeke."

Jason turned away again.

"Then where does he get off saying I look bad?" he retorted.

"That's not what he said!"

"Well it's true! I don't even fit into my own clothes anymore."

"Jason, that's because your clothes were tiny. So you put on a few pounds. No one would be able to fit in those clothes, no matter how skinny they were."

Jason gripped his arms tighter around himself, and Ryan planted his hands firmly on the couch in front of him so that he wouldn't freak the other out by trying to hug him.

"It's just not as easy for me," Jason said, voice shaky. Ryan bit his lip to stop himself from saying anything.

"I don't have all the gifts you guys do. Troy's talent, Zeke's height, your looks. I'm just not that great."

"Jason—"

"You don't have to deny it. I know it's true. No one ever likes me best. And I know, believe me, I know that starving myself isn't what I should be doing. I've never felt more sick in my life than when I haven't eaten for days." Jason's voice cracked right then and it was all Ryan could do to not hug the boy.

"I just—I know I didn't look good… but it was something I could control. If I could make myself look however I wanted… well, then maybe someone would finally notice me first."

Ryan worried a frayed end of the couch with his hands and stared down at the space between the two of them. After a few moments of silence, Jason laughed.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"For what?" Ryan asked.

"I guess I just had my session with you rather than Masters."

Ryan smiled briefly and ducked his head, even though Jason wasn't looking at him.

"Yeah, well, he's a bitch to talk to."

Jason laughed louder at that and finally turned to face the blond.

"Yeah," he said, grinning softly at Ryan.

Campers started slowly filtering into the room as they were released from activities. Gabi came in with Troy, but took off with Taylor a few minutes later to head back to their cabin before the next activity started.

"Hey," Troy said to them. "I guess my session's next, huh?"

"Good luck," Jason said, and Troy nodded at him, moving to sit at a couch a few feet away. Ryan watched as the crossdresser stared into the empty fireplace.

"Hey, Ryan!" Kelsi greeted, bounding over to give him a hug.

"Kels," Ryan replied. She giggled happily and sat down next to him, leaning over suddenly to latch onto Jason's arm.

"Jason!" she squealed, surprising the boy.

"Hi, Kelsi," he said, which she seemed to take as a sign to press herself further into him and hold on tightly. Jason's eyes bugged out, and he stared at the girl in confusion. Ryan laughed and moved slightly away from the pair.

An arm wrapped around Ryan's shoulders, shocking him for a bit. But he relaxed when he felt a gentle bump to the side of his head. He turned to see Chad smiling at him.

A rush went through Ryan that nearly left him dizzy with pleasure. He smiled back at the boy, absentmindedly greeting Zeke when he came to sit on the floor by Jason's feet.

Chad's smile had brightened the room already.


	21. Chapter 21

Chad shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His hands were itching to hold onto something, preferably his notebook, but he had been forced to leave it back in the room. Then again, it was probably a good thing. Masters might have been tempted to look inside had he brought it along.

However, that didn't stop him from feeling the pressure. He looked down at the bottom of the desk in front of him as Masters droned on. His shifted in his chair once more. He stretched his fingers out as far as they could go before curling them into loose fists.

He thought about playing basketball. Feeling the ball under his fingers and the wind in his hair as he dribbled up the court. He thought of his notebook back in the room. How he wanted to put pencil to paper and just draw. There was a rather nice sketch of Gabriella that he still needed to finish. He thought of Ryan. Dancing with him under the colored lights, his arms entwined around Chad's shoulders and his slim hips moving under Chad's hands in time with the music, guiding Chad's own hips to move with his. He thought of Ryan's eyes, bright and happy and so very blue staring back at him. He thought of seeing Ryan in the shower, naked and glistening with water. He thought about Ryan's lips moving against his own, gentle and sweet, then hotter, his tongue tracing patterns into Chad's mouth, trying to memorize everything. He thought about all these things. Anything to keep his mind off what Masters was saying.

Masters stopped mid-sentence and laid a heavy hand against his desk, startling Chad out of his thoughts. The older man sighed.

"Won't you even look at me when I'm talking to you, Chad?" he asked, voice soft as if talking to a child. Chad tightened his jaw and continued to stare at the bottom of the desk. Why was there always a dark stain near the bottom of the wood? Didn't anyone ever clean there?

Masters fell back into his chair, throwing his hands up.

"How am I supposed to help you if you won't even listen to me? I'm trying here, Chad, but you need to put in some effort. Do you want to spend your next summer here? After just graduating high school? That's what's going to happen if you don't communicate with me."

Chad stretched his fingers out again then folded them under his thighs. He shifted his legs so that they extended out in front of him. The toe of his right shoe was just able to touch that dark stain on Masters' desk.

There were a few moments of silence as Masters studied Chad's figure before the man moved forward and opened a drawer in his desk, pulling out a box of pencils. He pulled one out and stood, holding it out to Chad.

"Here, why don't we try this?" he said, gesturing for Chad to take the pencil. "I'll ask some questions, and you tap out your answer, once for yes, twice for no."

Chad moved his eyes up to stare at the pencil, careful not to look at the man actually holding it.

'_What am I? Your poodle trained to do tricks? I don't think so.'_

"Come on, Chad. Humor me," Masters pleaded, holding the pencil out further.

'_It's not even sharpened. What the hell good is that kinda pencil? Can't even draw with it.'_ Chad flicked his eyes to the desk in front of him, taking note of the cup full of pens and already sharpened pencils sitting to the side of what Chad assumed was the folder on his progress.

"Chad," Masters intoned, sounding like a mother nagging at her child. Chad finally leaned forward to take the stupid pencil, if only to stop Masters from continuing with the whine.

"Thank you," the man said, sitting back down and shuffling some papers around dutifully. Chad rolled his eyes and twirled the pencil in his hands.

'_Yeah, right. Like I'm actually gonna play your stupid game.'_

Chad sat back and examined the pencil more closely, taking in its color and length. It was pretty boring as far as pencils go, but there was nothing better to do.

"So," Masters said, "let's start with something simple. Is your name Chad Danforth?"

Chad was almost inclined to tap out no, just to spite the man, but he withheld, instead holding the pencil between his two index fingers and contemplating what else could be done with a pencil, particularly one that wasn't sharpened.

"Chad?" Masters voice came gently, slightly chastising.

'_Definitely can't be used to kill anybody.'_

"Chad? Are you going to answer the question?" Masters asked again.

'_Maybe, it could do some damage to the eye. With the right amount of strength, of course.'_

"Alright. How about we try something else?"

'_How do you sharpen one without any kind of blade? A flat surface?'_

"You live in California, yes?"

'_I wonder how the first people discovered pencils. Were theirs automatically sharp, or did they have to write with flat edges?'_

"Chad?" Masters inquired, voice becoming slightly more patronizing.

'_Must have been terribly uncomfortable. Probably squeaked like hell.'_

"Chad!" Masters proclaimed angrily, snatching the pencil out of Chad's hands.

'_Hey! I was using that!'_ Chad looked up at the counselor, taking in his red face and aggravated movements.

"That's it. Session's over," the man stated moving over to open the door. "Maybe, you're not concerned with getting better, but until you do, people aren't going to treat you like an equal. You're wasting your grandfather's death, you know."

Chad seized up. His brown eyes locked onto the figure of the man in front of him, but he didn't really see anything.

"You can leave now," Masters said, holding open the door. Chad got up and exited the room, letting Masters shut the door behind him. He stood in the middle of the hall, staring at the opposite wall, trying to focus his mind.

Suddenly, he was storming into his cabin, not even remembering how he got there. The door banged loudly against the wall, and the others looked up from their respective positions around the room. Zeke was lounging with Jason on his bed, flipping through a sports magazine that he had somehow managed to acquire. Troy was closest to him, having been returning from his evening shower. His blue eyes zeroed onto Chad, and he was already moving forward, expression concerned.

"Dude, what happened?" Troy asked, voice anxious. Chad searched frantically around the room, not sure what he was looking for, but not finding it. Jason and Zeke were getting up, coming to join them, but Chad was already moving, going over to his bed and pulling his notebook out from underneath his pillow. He flipped through the pages quickly, dismissing them quickly and threw the notebook on his bed, running a harried hand through his hair.

"Chad?" Troy's voice came again, still standing in the middle of the room. Chad turned to look at him, but quickly moved past him, going over to the window on the other side of the room and looking out into the night.

"Dude, what's up?" Zeke asked, also staying out of the way as Chad came back to his bed and picked up his notebook again, once more flipping through the pages before throwing it down. He sat down then got up the next second and paced around his bed.

"Chad, are you okay?" Jason asked, taking a few steps forward, but leaving enough distance between them just in case. Chad wanted scream in frustration. Didn't they know what he wanted? Wasn't it obvious? But as he stared at their concerned faces, he highly doubted it. He wasn't sure he would have been able to tell them either, not knowing exactly what he wanted himself.

He stepped up to Jason, wanting to laugh when the boy stepped back, though he had no idea why. He felt like he had no control over himself, and these guys just didn't seem to get how he was feeling. Chad dragged his hands through his hair, ready to start tearing it out if it would help. The guys stared at him with mixtures of confusion and fear on their faces, belying out the worry that had been there before. Troy stepped forward, ready to intervene if Chad did anything to drastic, when the cabin door opened once again, and Ryan stepped into the room.

"Hey," he greeted, stopping abruptly when he noticed the tension in the air.

Chad stared at the blond, standing there in another ridiculous ensemble, white and gold this time, and felt something explode inside him. He staggered forward and fell into the smaller boy, folding his arms around him and hiding his face between his neck and shoulder.

Ryan was still for a moment before he slowly wrapped his arms around Chad's back, pulling him in. The room remained silent around them, but Chad didn't care. He let himself be comforted by the warmth of Ryan's body and inhaled deeply, letting Ryan's scent wash over him. A pained gasp escaped his mouth, but Ryan soothed him, rubbing gently between his shoulder blades.

Gradually, the room filled with noise again, the guys going back to what they were doing before, talking in soft voices. Chad tuned them out and let Ryan guide him over to his bed, holding him all the while. The blond sat back against the headboard and arranged Chad so that he was leaning against him, head still resting on Ryan's shoulder.

Chad clutched Ryan to him, fingers clenched around his shirt. Ryan continued to rub patterns down Chad's back, softly murmuring to him whenever Chad couldn't hold back another pained whimper.

It was a while before Chad felt like himself again, but he stayed where he was, enjoying the soothing presence of Ryan's arms around him. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes, letting Ryan's gentle ministrations lull him to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

Ryan made his way down the hall heading towards Masters' office, shoulders squared and eyes narrowed, determined. He had left Chad sleeping back in the cabin and taken off as soon as he was sure the boy wouldn't wake up. It was only eight thirty, so Ryan was sure that Masters would still be in his office. And sure enough when Ryan walked in the door, Masters was sitting at his desk organizing papers into files. The older man looked up at the intrusion.

"Ryan! What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" the man asked, standing up and coming around his desk. Ryan steeled himself and rushed forward before he could change his mind, quickly wrapping his arms around the counselor's torso and burying his head in his chest.

"Oh, Brandon!" he cried, making sure to crack his voice in just the right spot.

"Ryan?!" Masters exclaimed, tensing considerably and trying to entangle himself from the boy's arms, but Ryan held fast.

"I just had to see you, Brandon! You're all I think about, night and day," Ryan said, voice high with emotion.

"Ry… Ryan…" Masters stuttered, increasing his struggles to get loose. When Ryan had worked up enough emotion that he was tearing, he looked up, blue eyes pleading and desperate.

"I can't stop thinking about you, Brandon," he whispered. "All the time. When I wake up, when I eat, before I go to bed, and …in the shower."

Masters gaped down at Ryan.

"I'm going crazy," Ryan said, voice now low, sultry in its emotion. He took advantage of the man's shocked state to bring his arms around to his front, slowly trailing his hands up the counselor's chest.

"I think horrible things about you, Brandon," he breathed, lowering his eyelids. "What it'd be like to kiss you, to touch you. When there's no one around… I imagine you alone… naked… touching yourself."

"Ryan!" Masters screeched, finally managing to break free and push the boy away. He breathed deeply through his nose, eyes wide behind his glasses, alarmed.

Ryan fell against the desk and used the time to gather his wits once more before standing up again and turning to face the counselor.

"Brandon," he cried, voice once again high and emotional. The older man was backed into a corner, breathing deeply to regain his composure.

"Ryan, you shouldn't say those things," he finally managed.

"But it's true!" Ryan exclaimed, trying to step forward, but was blocked by a firm hand against his shoulder.

"You shouldn't be thinking about me in that way," Masters said, quickly withdrawing his hand once it was clear that Ryan wouldn't be allowed any closer. "I'm your counselor."

"That doesn't change how I feel!" Ryan said, mentally cringing at his act. Just how dumb was this guy?

"No, Ryan. We already talked about this. You can't—there can't—it's not possible."

"But, Bran—"

"No!" Masters declared firmly, eyes cold behind his glasses. There was a moment of silence before the tears started to fall, Ryan making sure to play it up as much as possible.

The older man stared at him for a few seconds before he sighed and moved to put a tentative hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ryan, but there can be nothing. Do you understand me?" he asked, voice awkward and strained.

"Is… is there… someone else?" Ryan blubbered. He watched with satisfaction as the man bought it, gleefully cheering inside.

"Y… yes. Yes, there's someone else," the man replied, shifting enough for Ryan to know it was a lie. Ryan didn't reply, just turned away to give the appearance of deep hurt.

"Oh, Ryan," Masters sighed, grabbing some Kleenex from the box on his desk and handing them to the boy. "I'm really sorry. It's just—"

"No," Ryan interrupted. "It's okay," he said, trying to sound brave. "I understand. I just… I just… I hope they're good enough for you." He choked on his words, but turned to give the counselor a watery smile. Masters smiled back warily.

After a few more minutes, Ryan had finished crying and was acting more friendly, and Masters had relaxed enough to come out of his corner.

"So, is he good in bed?" Ryan asked, when he was sure Masters was least expecting it.

"What?!" Masters jumped, eyes wide for a few seconds before he shook his head at the smiling boy and sighed. "I think it's time you headed back to your cabin."

"No, come on," Ryan protested, even as Masters was leading him to the door. "I want to hear about your lover. Have you had sex yet?"

"Out," Masters commanded, gently pushing Ryan through the door.

"Oh, fine," Ryan replied, walking backwards into the hallway. However, he couldn't help but get one last dig in before he left.

"Just make sure you're careful when it finally happens. Use plenty of lube and watch your teeth."

"Wh… what?" Masters sputtered, but Ryan just waved before turning on his heel and walking away.

He had barely made it out of the building before he ran into someone coming the opposite way.

"Chad! You should be sleeping."

The boy stared back at him in the darkness, before moving forward to take his hand. Ryan smiled and gripped Chad's fingers.

"Well, I guess it's okay. If you were looking for me."

Chad grinned at him and moved to give him a kiss before stopping, eyes locked on Ryan's face.

"Hm?" Ryan asked, wanting his kiss. Chad trailed a finger down Ryan's cheek, tracing the path Ryan's fake tears had fallen. Suddenly, Ryan grew self-conscious. They hadn't been real, just an act to unnerve Masters, but he had still shed them. He tried to duck his head, but Chad prevented it, holding his chin so that Ryan was gazing into his eyes, full of concern.

"I'm okay," Ryan assured quietly. "But if you want to make sure, you can give me that kiss to make up for it."

A slow grin spread across Chad's face, and he leaned forward, fitting their mouths together. A thrill went up Ryan's spine and he tilted his face up to make it easier. He would have loved for it to last longer, but Chad pulled away after a few seconds. Ryan whimpered in disappointment, but Chad just placed a finger against his lips and smiled. He took Ryan's hand and started walking, away from the building, down the path towards the lake. Ryan followed, not sure what Chad wanted, but willing to go along if it meant more kisses and hugging.

The lake looked different at night, almost black in appearance. Ryan shivered, imagining the cold water on his skin. He was therefore surprised when Chad let go of his hand and quickly dropped his pants. Ryan took a step back.

"What are you doing?" he asked, watching as Chad grinned over at him before pulling his t-shirt over his head. Ryan swallowed, eyes drinking in the sight. Chad leaned down to pull of his shoes, providing Ryan with a nice view of his backside. His breathing grew quicker and he willed himself to calm down, though the effort was wasted the next moment when Chad glanced up at him and stepped out of his boxers.

Ryan felt his face heat up.

Chad turned to face him and stepped forward, bringing his hand up to caress Ryan's cheek. Ryan breathed deeply and tried not to show how nervous he felt by Chad's sudden nakedness. After all, Chad had seen him in the shower, and it had been okay, and it was only natural to want to see Chad naked. And Ryan did. So there was no problem. They were dating after all, right?

However, all these thoughts didn't stop Ryan's heart from trying to burst out of his chest as Chad started kissing him again. Ryan moved into the kiss, taking comfort in the familiarity of it. This he could do. Kissing was no problem. They'd done it before. But when he brought his hands up to Chad's bare shoulders, he was once again reminded that this was a bit different.

He gasped into Chad's mouth then licked his way inside, trying to cover his nerves with confidence. Chad obviously liked this idea for he pulled Ryan to him, settling an arm around the blonde's waist and using his other hand to cup Ryan's face, keeping them together.

As the kiss grew more passionate, Ryan relaxed enough into Chad's hold that he forgot about Chad's lack of clothing. Chad pulled off Ryan's white cap, letting it fall to the ground, so that he could run his fingers through the soft, blond hair.

Ryan moaned at this and pressed himself further into Chad's mouth, wanting more. Suddenly, this wasn't so scary, but rather exciting, and Ryan liked the slight thrill of not knowing.

Chad pulled away after one last swipe through Ryan's mouth, and Ryan opened his eyes to see Chad grinning mischievously down at him. Ryan cocked his head to the side, questioning, as Chad stepped away from and towards the lake.

"Chad? You can't be serious," Ryan said slowly, but all he received was a small grin before Chad went crashing into the water. Ryan stepped back to avoid getting hit by the splash and laughed when Chad came up, shaking his head so that his curls sprayed water all over the place.

"You're crazy!" Ryan exclaimed, smiling at the dark figure in the water. Chad stood up, and Ryan could see the smooth expanse of his torso in the moonlight, trailing water down, down, right below his belly button, the rest immersed in the lake. The silent boy held out his arm to him, but Ryan backed away, shaking his head.

"Oh, no," he protested. Chad let his arm fall heavily into the water, splashing some water up into the air. Ryan shivered as the cold drops hit him, and stared at Chad with shock on his face. Chad smiled at him and swam back a bit, letting his shoulders fall below the water. Ryan sighed when Chad once again held out a hand for Ryan join him.

'_Guess I'm going skinny-dipping,'_ he thought. He bent over to take off his shoes and socks, and heard a loud splash. When he looked up, Chad had disappeared under the water. Ryan shook his head, but undid his belt, untucked his shirt, and started at the buttons.

When it was off, he folded it carefully and set it on top of his shoes. Laughing indicated that Chad had resurfaced. Ryan straightened up and crossed his arms, nose in the air.

"Laugh if you will, but at least I won't have wrinkles."

Ryan could see Chad's eyes glittering at him, waiting. Ryan breathed out slowly, and lowered his pants and boxers, acting more confident than he felt. He swiftly folded these as well and set them on his pile before stepping forward, shivering slightly.

Chad watched him from his spot in the water, not moving, just waiting. Ryan tested the water with a foot and found that yes it was very cold. He took a step back and decided to just run in, get it over with. Chad so owed him for this.

As he hit the water, the shock of the cold made him gasp out and he quickly broke the surface, breathing deeply and shivering.

"C…c…cold!" he stuttered, wrapping his arms around himself. Chad laughed softly and moved forward, grabbing his arm and pulling him deeper into the lake. When his feet could no longer reach the bottom, Ryan pulled out of Chad's grasp and swam forward a bit, trying to ignore how much he was freezing. Chad followed him, smiling happily.

It got easier after a while, and Ryan finally stopped moving, just lightly kicking to keep himself afloat. Chad came up and gave him a playful shove, quickly ducking beneath the surface before Ryan could get back at him.

The blond grinned and dove as well, following Chad a small distance away. They rose, and Ryan splashed at Chad, starting a small splashing war before Chad once again ducked out of sight. Ryan turned in the water, wondering where the boy would surface. Right in front of him, as it turned out. Chad rose, grinning, and grabbed at Ryan's head, ducking it under the water. Ryan batted at Chad's chest until he let up, and Ryan surfaced, gasping.

"Jerk," he said, shoving Chad slightly, but he was smiling. He swam back towards the shallow area, stopping when his feet could touch the ground. Chad came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him, pulling Ryan back against his chest.

Ryan smiled as Chad nuzzled against the side of his head and turned his head so that he could press his lips to Chad's. He raised his hand, tangling his fingers in Chad's wet curls, holding tightly. Chad tightened his hold on Ryan in response.

Ryan bit at Chad's lower lip, growing bolder. Their tongues tangled together briefly before Ryan turned fully in Chad's arms and wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders. He dropped his mouth to lick at Chad's jaw, following a line up to bite at Chad's ear. Chad gasped and tilted his head to the side, so Ryan dropped his head again and started working at Chad's neck, sucking a spot right behind Chad's ear before licking his way down the long expanse of skin.

The water was growing chiller around them, but Ryan paid it no mind, enjoying the small noises Chad emitted whenever he licked at just the right spot. Each gasp, each whimper drove Ryan just a little more crazy. He ducked his head to swipe at Chad's collarbone before sealing their lips together.

Chad grabbed at his hair, trying to find a good hold and thrust his tongue into Ryan's mouth, swallowing Ryan's moan. Ryan gripped his shoulders tightly and moved closer, as close as he could. He gasped when his erection brushed against Chad's thigh, and suddenly, feeling Chad's cock against his belly, his arousal intensified. He thrust his hips against Chad, trying to get more of that delicious friction against his cock.

Chad tensed. He pulled away from Ryan, breathing heavily. Ryan tried to follow, wanting more, but Chad turned his face away and pushed Ryan back, away from him.

Ryan stilled. His breathing was ragged, his erection demanding attention, but he looked at Chad, silent and still, pushing him away.

'_Shit.'_ Ryan stepped forward, hand outstretched.

"Chad, I—"

But Chad pulled away, flinching. Ryan's face fell.

He turned around, heading back towards the shore as fast as he could in the water. He heard Chad coming after him, but kept moving. Chad grabbed at his arm, but Ryan pulled it out of his grasp, losing his balance and falling forward.

He was glad of the sudden wetness, even though he couldn't breathe, because it hid the tears falling down his face. His chest ached, but he refused to open his mouth and release the sobs threatening to spill from his mouth.

And then Chad was there, pulling him up. Ryan tried to turn away, but Chad held his face with his hands and crushed his mouth against Ryan's desperately. Ryan squeezed his eyes shut and gripped Chad's shoulders, mortified when he couldn't stop himself from sobbing into Chad's mouth. He wanted to push Chad away, hide his face, but Chad wouldn't let him go, holding him so tight it was almost painful. His mouth moved frantically against Ryan's, trying to soothe away the hurt with his tongue. Ryan held on tightly, accepting the apology, though for what he wasn't sure. He had no idea what had happened in the first place. But as Chad lifted him, Ryan's legs going around his waist, and carried him out of the water, he decided it didn't matter.

Chad's mouth was still attached to his, as he lowered the two of them onto the ground, sitting with Ryan cradled in his lap, legs still wrapped around Chad. They kissed hurriedly, messily, and Ryan wished that there was some other way that they could communicate, because while the kissing was great, it wouldn't solve things every time there was a problem. That was the real issue. He liked Chad. A lot. And he was pretty sure that Chad liked him. But if they couldn't understand each other then nothing would work out, no matter how strong the attraction.

Chad wrapped his arms around Ryan's back, pulling him flush against his body, not flinching away when their dicks came into contact. Ryan's had wilted a little from before but it quickly perked up again when Chad thrust up against him.

Ryan pulled his mouth away to stare down into Chad's eyes, grinding his own hips down, excited when Chad thrust up to meet him. Chad looked down into their laps, and Ryan followed, wanting to see what it looked like.

A choked noise escaped his mouth as he took in the two lengths, rubbing against each other, both heads swollen and leaking precome. Chad's cock was thicker than his, but just as long, if not longer.

Ryan moaned when Chad wrapped a hand around the two of them, stroking quickly. He stared at Chad's face, noting the slightly panicked expression, but when Chad looked up to meet his gaze, his eyes were determined and full of lust and something else he couldn't name.

Time seemed to slow down then. They gazed at each other, noses touching, mouths open, breathing heavily. Their hips moved agonizingly slow against each other, deliberate in every thrust. Chad's hand was more of a hindrance than a help, but the extra friction was enough to blow Ryan's mind.

It couldn't have been more than a few seconds before they were both coming, moaning into each other's mouths. Ryan seized up then collapsed shaking against Chad, burying his head into Chad's shoulder. Chad stroked Ryan's back lovingly with his clean hand, resting his cheek against Ryan's hair.

Ryan suddenly shivered, realizing they were both still wet and naked. He laughed once against Chad's shoulder, slightly hysterical and wiped at his face, where the tears had mixed with the water from the lake. Chad hummed back in response, pressing a kiss to Ryan's temple. Ryan sighed, cold, but not wanting to move from his position.

However, the sound of footsteps startled them back into reality, and they both looked up in time for a flashlight to be aimed in their direction, the face of Mr. Masters shocked and angry behind it.


	23. Chapter 23

Chad sat, quite uncomfortably, in one of the chairs lining the wall on the side of Linderman's office, sure that his life was over. Masters was raging, red-faced, to Linderman who sat primly in her seat behind her desk. Chad was sure he should be paying attention to what was being said, but nothing seemed to register, just a cold numbness.

He had no doubt that they would contact his parents, force them to travel for hours to come pick him up, and Chad would have to see their startled faces, lined with disappointment, that he had failed once again. Chad was surprised by how much he really didn't want that to happen.

Yet, at the same time, he couldn't regret anything that happened in the last few hours. Seeing Ryan, holding him, watching him with tears in his eyes and a moan spilling out of his mouth. It had all been worth it. Maybe, he could have avoided that tense moment when Ryan had first brushed against him with more on his mind than just kissing, and he had ended up hurting him. But as Chad thought back on it, even that was perfect, in its own messed up way.

He hadn't meant to be bothered by it. In fact, Chad had wanted it. He had thought about touching Ryan so many times before, but it had still come as a bit of shock when it actually happened. But as Chad turned to look at Ryan, sitting calmly beside him, watching the proceedings with something like amusement dancing in his eyes, Chad realized that he would do it a million times more just to see Ryan, blue eyes twinkling and grinning into his mouth as they kissed.

Chad shook his head fondly at the blond, a small smile working its way onto his mouth, wondering how Ryan could possibly be so relaxed about all this. As if feeling his stare, Ryan turned to catch Chad's eye, sticking out his tongue playfully, earning a swat from Chad. Light laughter bubbled from Ryan's lips, and somehow just hearing that managed to make Chad feel instantly better, though a small amount of dread lingered, but just barely.

Chad lifted his hand to brush against the side of Ryan's mouth, still upturned from his laughter. Ryan caught his fingers, eyes softening at the touch, and pressed a kiss against his knuckles, before threading their fingers together. Once again, Chad had to admire the contrast between their skin tones. He rubbed the pad of his thumb against Ryan's wrist, liking the way Ryan's hand fit so snugly against his. Ryan seemed to appreciate this as well for he hummed softly in pleasure and pressed their palms together.

"Well, Mr. Evans, Mr. Danforth," Linderman spoke up, startling Chad out of his moment with Ryan. Suddenly, Chad was aware that Masters had stopped talking, making Chad wonder how he had not noticed as the counselor's conniption had been extremely distracting. Chad automatically seized up, dread pooling in his stomach once again. This wasn't going to be good.

Linderman was staring at the two of them, a neutral expression on her face, Masters off to her side, breathing heavily after his rant, glaring slightly. At Ryan, Chad realized.

"Ms. Linderman," Ryan answered, inclining his head in her direction, not bothering to let go of Chad's hand, lifting it up in fact, so that their linked fingers were more noticeable. Masters' glare seemed to grow at this.

'_Please, Ryan. Don't provoke him.' _

But Ryan only smirked at the counselor, further infuriating the man. Linderman cleared her throat, capturing their attention once again.

"The two of you both know the rules of this camp, you especially, Mr. Evans," the woman declared.

"Of course," Ryan replied regally, smiling at the woman, prompting her to stare sharply at the blond. Chad felt a stone drop into the pit of his stomach.

'_What are you doing, Ryan?'_ Chad worried.

"That includes," she continued as if he hadn't spoken, "no staying out past curfew, not to mention your complete disregard for the appropriateness of public displays of affection. By a wide mile."

Masters looked as if he wanted to say more, but he contained himself at a glance from the older woman. Ryan only smiled brighter. Chad's heart thumped loudly against his chest, and he clenched his fingers tighter around Ryan's, feeling Ryan squeeze back, which didn't help much to curb Chad's anxiety, especially when Linderman leaned forward in her seat.

Linderman gazed at Ryan for a long while, giving Chad the impression that they were having some kind of silent conversation, before nodding once at the blond and sitting back.

"Very well. The two of you are dismissed. But do try to limit your activities in the future. If I catch you after hours again, there will be consequences."

'_What?'_ Chad's jaw dropped.

"What?!" Masters screeched, eyes seemingly about to pop out of his head in disbelief.

Ryan stood cheerfully, dragging Chad up with him and inclined his head toward Linderman.

"Thank you," he said graciously, smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

'_How?'_ Chad wondered, Ryan tugging him to the door of the office.

"Oh, and Ryan?" Linderman said, stopping them before they could make their exit. Ryan cocked his head to the side in question.

"Hm?

"Please, do try to abstain from playing games with our counselors," she said, indicating the man sputtering incredulously beside her. "We want to keep them for as long as we can."

Ryan grinned and nodded.

"Of course."

Then they were out.

They walked down the hall, Ryan humming randomly. Chad was still trying to process the fact that they hadn't gotten in trouble. At all. He had been sure that they were in for it, but they had gotten out with barely a warning. He was relieved. Definitely. But something was still bothering him as they made their way outside.

'_How?'_

Chad turned his head to stare at the boy walking next to him, hand still clasped with his and humming happily. Ryan winked at Chad when he noticed him looking, smirking in amusement. Chad didn't return the gesture.

There was something that Chad wasn't getting.

However, Ryan didn't say anything the whole way back to the cabin, even though Chad tried several times to make his confusion known. Ryan seemed immune to his efforts, swinging their hands exaggeratedly as if they were playing a game. The blond just continued humming his tune, one Chad was sure that he had just made up. And it was starting to get on Chad's nerves.

Chad wasn't amused.

They were accosted the second they stepped into the cabin, and Ryan immediately let go of Chad's hand. For some reason, Chad wasn't sorry at the loss. Gabriella was there, sitting prettily on top of Troy's bed as if she belonged there, but more surprising was Sharpay, glaring moodily from her spot on Ryan's bed.

"Where have you been?" she demanded before the rest of the guys could get a word in. "It's almost midnight, Ryan!"

Ryan shrugged ineffectually and sprawled against Chad's bed, somehow managing to irritate Chad further.

'_Hello?'_ Chad stared at Ryan, lounging like he was king of the damn place. It hit a nerve deep inside him. Ryan was acting so smug, and it was irritating the hell out of Chad. What had happened? Why did they get off so easy? And why was Ryan so unaffected, so damn conceited about it?

"Had a run in with Masters," Ryan offered his sister, failing to notice Chad's annoyance, which only worsened his state. The guys all winced in sympathy. Sharpay relaxed back against her spot, though she still looked angry.

"Surely it couldn't have taken you this long," she complained.

"Well, I would have been quicker, but he had a fit and took us to Linderman."

"Linderman!" Zeke exclaimed. "Dude! How did you get out of there alive?"

"Eh," Ryan shrugged once again, smirking for all he was worth.

'_God! Could you just shut up?! For once?!'_ Chad didn't know where his frustration was coming from, but he was surprised at the severity of it. For some reason, this was even worse than Ryan's lies.

"Really, Ryan," Sharpay intoned, "even Linderman's not that much of a challenge. Did you have to take your time?"

Troy glanced at Chad in confusion at this, turning to the others when he saw Chad was just as lost. Gabriella didn't seem to understand either, but she just lay back against Troy's bed, as if she was used to this kind of situation.

"It was brilliant, Shar!" Ryan said, shifting onto his knees and messing up Chad's comforter. "Masters was so red in the face, I thought he was going to pass out from blood loss. And Linderman just sat there, not even listening to him, I'll bet."

"Yes, it must have been very amusing, Ryan," Sharpay replied dryly. Ryan wasn't deterred.

"And then when she let us off—Masters was so furious. Oh, you should have been there!"

"I'm sure," Sharpay said easily.

"Wait a minute," Troy interrupted, waving his hands about, trying to understand. "Wait. Masters caught you guys out after hours and took you to Linderman and that didn't get you into more trouble?"

"Pretty much," Ryan replied, self-satisfied, his grin growing in arrogance. Chad bit his lip.

"How is that even possible?" Jason asked. "Isn't Linderman supposed to be like… a bitch?" Zeke and Troy nodded along with the question. Gabi merely seemed amused. Chad was too upset to do anything. Ryan and Sharpay shared a glance that spoke of long-suffering, as if this kind of question was beneath them. It made Chad want to smack them both.

"Yeah, how come the two of you always seem to be above everything that goes on here?" Troy asked. "You're always getting away with things that are like crazy."

"Like that party!" Zeke piped in.

"Yeah! How was that even allowed? Do you guys like own the camp or something?" Jason asked.

"Well, duh," Sharpay replied, rolling her eyes.

Everyone stared at her. Chad was sure that Jason hadn't meant the question seriously, and yet, the siblings just sat there, as if they hadn't just revealed something that was so completely out there.

'_What?'_ Chad's irritation suddenly disappeared, a slow burn starting to travel its way up his body from the pit of his belly instead.

"Huh?" Zeke said, summing up everyone's thoughts. Sharpay just huffed in annoyance.

"You didn't honestly think that we'd be here if we could help it, did you?" she retorted, talking slowly as if to someone very dumb. The guys all exchanged confused glances. Gabriella looked as if she was finally starting to understand something. Chad was busy staring at Ryan.

"Really," Sharpay continued. "You lot are dumber than I thought. This camp was made for Ryan. Why else would he willingly spend six summers here when he could be doing more important things?"

Several gasps went through the room. Chad glanced sharply at Sharpay, before looking back at Ryan, who had finally turned to look back at him. The blonde's cheeks were tinged slightly pink, but just one look into his eyes proved to Chad that what Sharpay was saying was true.

"Dude," Jason said softly. "That's kinda messed up." Everyone was uncomfortably silent after that.

Chad gazed at Ryan, who was looking at him with a strange expression on his face. It was weird to think that not long ago, they had shared an intimate moment down at the lake. Not long ago, Ryan had been kissing his fingers and smiling sweetly up at him.

And yet, now there was a completely different Ryan. A Ryan that was manipulative, that got his way no matter what. A Ryan that had used them the whole summer and had never said a word about it.

"Chad?" Ryan asked quietly after a few moments, breaking the silence in the room. Chad blinked back into reality and stared at the boy in front of him. He wasn't sure what he was feeling as he stood there, taking in Ryan's appearance, worried blue eyes and hair still wet from the lake. Betrayal? Confusion? No, it was more like an overwhelming numbness, yet it was hot and burning inside him. Like his body wasn't ready to start actually feeling anything yet.

Ryan opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but Chad knew in that moment that he didn't want to hear it. He didn't want anymore of Ryan's excuses or anymore of his lies.

He turned away.


	24. Chapter 24

Ryan watched as Chad walked into the cabin with Troy in tow then promptly walked back out when he saw Ryan there. It made something die inside Ryan, but he refused to think about it and quickly turned back to his magazine, not really reading anything, just going through the motions.

They had gone the whole morning without interacting, and it was driving Ryan up the wall. What had he done this time? If it was because his parents owned the camp, then Ryan felt Chad was overreacting. Except he didn't really think that, but he didn't want to feel the hurt if it was really his fault, so he was blaming this one on Chad. Which had put Ryan on edge all day.

Troy was still lingering in the doorway, trying to decide whether to come in or go after Chad like the good friend he was. Ryan wanted to yell at him to make up his mind already, but wasn't ready to unleash any anger yet. He wasn't sure where to place it.

Eventually, Troy decided to risk coming inside, and he moved over to his bed, setting his bag aside, then stood, seemingly lost as what to do now. Ryan continued thoroughly not noticing the crossdresser's presence, gripping his magazine so tight it was a wonder the pages weren't already ruined. He stared hard at the words, trying to make them mean something to him. That was when Troy decided to strike.

"Are you done yet?"

Ryan flipped a page, acting like the words hadn't just formed a knot inside of him.

"Hm?" he said noncommittally.

Troy sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed, facing Ryan so that there was a space of about five feet between them. Ryan tried not to wish that there was more.

"Look, can't you do something?" Troy gestured vaguely, and yet Ryan knew exactly what he was talking about. He pretended not to.

"What are you talking about?" he said, quite convincingly, in his opinion.

"Come on, Ryan," Troy implored, mildly annoyed. A hateful spark lit inside of Ryan.

"What do you want me to do?" he said roughly, keeping his eyes trained on the page in front of him.

"Talk to him," Troy said exasperatedly. "Apologize. I dunno. Do something. This tension is making the whole camp weird."

Ryan looked up, eyes already burning, and fixed Troy with his worst glare. The crossdresser withered a little under his stare.

"Why should I?!" Ryan hissed out. "Why do I have to be the one to make amends? He's the one who has a problem, not me!"

In a flash, Troy's fear was gone, replaced by annoyance.

"Don't be like that," he replied hotly, eyes narrowing. "You know Chad can't say anything."

"That's not my problem!" Ryan retorted. "It's not my fault he has a communication barrier! He needs to learn how to deal."

"Like you're one to talk!" Troy argued back, standing up so that he could tower over Ryan.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ryan asked angrily, scrambling off his bed to even the field.

"Please," Troy scoffed, imitating Sharpay. "Like half the words that come out of your mouth say what you're really feeling. You don't even have the balls to admit that you're a human, just like the rest of us!"

Ryan bit back his reply, letting the anger rush through him. He held his breath and let every bad thought he had ever had about Troy enter his mind. He was surprised that not much was left after their friendly interactions this summer. But there was still enough.

Ryan leaned back onto one hip and stared up at the other boy, a casual smirk gracing his lips, though his eyes were still flashing dangerously.

"So I have problems, do I?" he said, voice low, laced with menace. "Well, then I guess it's nothing compared to your little secret."

Troy, preparing to retort, froze at Ryan's last words. Ryan grinned evilly.

"What's wrong, Troy?" he taunted. "You didn't think that everyone would be fooled by this whole crossdressing act, did you?"

Troy's eyes widened.

"You—" he breathed.

"Yes," Ryan answered. "I know the real reason why you're here. Why the staff has taken such great pains to keep this quiet. Why they've removed all chances of temptation."

Troy stumbled back a few steps, not quite falling onto his bed, but it was close. He stared at Ryan for a few moments, as if he couldn't quite believe that the blond was telling the truth, but after a few seconds of staring into Ryan's eyes, he looked down.

"I can't believe it," he said softly, pathetically. "I thought no one knew."

Ryan's act died at the sight. However much he was angry at Troy, he didn't want to see him hurt. Because Ryan would know that it was all his fault. Troy looked up at him, blue eyes wide and scared. It made Ryan want to scream in frustration.

"God!" he huffed, bringing his hands up to clench in the air, wishing he could actually hit something.

"Do you really think that little of me?!" Ryan demanded. "Do you really think I'd tell anyone?!"

"You mean, you haven't—" Troy started, but Ryan had had enough. He turned on his heel and ran for the door, needing to get away.

"Ryan!" he heard Troy call after him and the sound of heels on the floor. Ryan sped up, sprinting as fast as he could.

"Shit," Troy said behind him, stumbling on his heels, before once again calling his name, closer this time.

"Ryan! Ryan!!"

But Ryan put on a burst of speed, and Troy's shouts eventually faded into the distance.

Still Ryan kept running. The exertion was something of a catharsis. He ran without thinking, letting his legs carry him where they would. So he really couldn't be faulted that when he finally stopped he ended up by the lake.

The water was still, no one around to stir it to life. Ryan stood, breathing heavily and gazed out to the far end, trying not to think about how just hours ago, he and Chad had been enjoying themselves together, only a few feet away from where he was standing.

Ryan felt the frustration build up in him. He brought his hands up to fist in his hair, only just realizing that his hat had fallen off sometime when he had been running. He ran his hands through the blond strands absentmindedly, thinking he should probably go collect his hat from wherever it had fallen.

A splash in the water made Ryan turn suddenly. A good distance away Chad was throwing rocks furiously into the lake. He didn't seem to have noticed he wasn't alone.

Or maybe he had, Ryan reconsidered. The intensity of Chad's throws increased the longer Ryan watched, and yet Chad would look nowhere near his direction, as if he knew Ryan was there and was only throwing rocks to tell him to leave. Ryan narrowed his eyes.

He grabbed a rock from near his feet and threw it angrily to where Chad was still pelting rocks into the water. His rock splashed only a few feet away from where Chad's last one had landed. Abruptly, Chad dropped the rest of the rocks in his hand and turned to stalk away, not even glancing at Ryan.

'_No, you don't!'_ Ryan's mind screamed. He ran quickly forward. Chad wasn't getting away this time.

Ryan caught up with Chad just as he started up the trail heading back toward the cabins. He grabbed the other boy's arm, holding tight when Chad struggled to free himself.

"Dammit, Chad!" Ryan growled, wrapping his other hand around Chad's bicep. Ryan was under no illusions that he had the upper hand. He knew that if Chad really wanted, he could free himself in a heartbeat. That was the only thing that kept Ryan hanging on instead of giving up.

But as they continued to struggle, Ryan's anger grew, until he couldn't stop what started coming out of his mouth. He knew he shouldn't try talking when he had just been arguing with Troy. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to handle any kind of situation at the moment. But he was just too upset to care. His emotions had already taken over.

"I can't believe you!" he said, still struggling with Chad. "You're such a bastard, you know that?! Every time something doesn't go the way you want, you have to run away and start ignoring everyone! It's not fair!"

Chad turned to face Ryan and started pulling harder, bringing his other hand up to try to grapple Ryan's hands away. Ryan dug his nails in.

"No!" he protested. He wrestled with Chad furiously, hands gripping hard. He knew there would be bruises. But he was already so out of control that he wasn't holding back. In any way.

"I'm not letting go!" he cried, slightly hysterical. "I'm not letting go until you talk to me!"

Chad grew crazy. He twisted and pulled frantically, keen on getting away. Ryan didn't notice the change.

"Talk to me, Chad! Why won't you talk to me!!"

But that must have been the limit because Chad finally wrenched his hands away and shoved Ryan back. Hard. The force knocked Ryan to the ground, his back hitting the earth painfully. A shocked gasp escaped Ryan's mouth as all the air went out of him.

Ryan stared up at Chad, looking just as shocked as he felt. Silence surrounded them as they stared at each other, until Ryan finally started breathing again, the first breath sharp and fast, but slowing as he got more oxygen into his system. It had a slight calming effect on his person, but as the hysteria disappeared, misery started to sink in.

Chad took a hesitant step forward, gazing down at Ryan with something like guilt on his face. It broke something inside the blond and he looked down.

"Don't bother," he said quietly when Chad made a move to help him up, halting the approaching boy in his tracks. Ryan struggled up, ignoring the pain in his back. It didn't hurt that much anyway.

He took a few steps away, stopping when his body protested the movement. Ryan felt a wave of depression flow over him, and he just barely stopped himself from emitting a low sob. He really didn't want to start crying in front of Chad. Not again. He didn't want to seem that pathetic.

Chad shifted behind him, reminding Ryan that there was still a situation to deal with. But Ryan was tired. He had tried, but it evidently wasn't enough. And yet, he couldn't get his body to start walking away. A strange sense of irony bubbled up inside him.

"You know when you first came here, I thought it must have been fate or something that someone who wouldn't talk had ended up in the same place as someone who wouldn't stop talking."

Ryan laughed, softly, sadly.

"You know, like God must have had a strange sense of humor to put you here with me, since you hide behind your silence and I… hide behind my words. "

Chad shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't even believe in God," Ryan added randomly. Ryan wasn't sure where he was going with this or why he had even brought it up to begin with, but for once, he felt that he needed to tell the truth. If only for his peace of mind.

"I don't like being this way," he admitted, voice so low that he was sure Chad had to strain to hear him. But this was too painful to speak about in a normal voice. His heart beat loudly in his ears, making him dizzy and scared. But he continued.

"I don't even know how it started. Or why. All I knew was that you couldn't get hurt if people didn't know that you were. If I refused to let other people see me upset, they would believe I was fine… and eventually I would too."

Ryan inhaled shakily.

"And it worked too,.. most of the time,.. not at all. But it was all I knew how to do. And my parents were fine with it. They still loved me. Sharpay still loved me. And that was all that mattered. So I started lying more. Little half-truths that wouldn't cause much harm. Not really. Except to me."

Ryan shook his head, laughing breathlessly.

"I should have known that would be enough. And so Camp HumuHumu was created," Ryan said, spreading his arms wide to indicate the whole area. However after a few seconds, he dropped them hastily, uncomfortable, and looked down at the ground, wanting to draw in on himself even though he knew Chad couldn't see his face.

"But it didn't help. If anything… it fueled my…. well… Having others around me, some with problems so much worse than mine, made it easier to hide behind the words. And since my father owned the camp, any inconvenience was removed, whether I wanted it gone or not."

Ryan paused there, trying to collect his thoughts. After another few seconds, he began again.

"But I kept on coming. Because it was better than watching my family worry themselves to death over me. And I started to have fun. Started to enjoy getting away with all the stories I was telling. Even though this was all just an illusion. Everyone was only indulging me because they knew. And now, I know too. I'm never going to get better."

Chad drew in a sharp breath at this, but Ryan started talking before he could do anything.

"It was really fun, you know. With you here. I never actually thought I'd have someone… considering everything. I mean, not only was I a liar, but I was gay too. It just didn't seem likely. I know Shar believes it's wrong for two people with problems to get involved, but I don't see how it could happen any other way. Here, we all have an understanding. We're all the same."

Ryan turned to face Chad, though he didn't look in his eyes, knowing that if he did, he'd get sucked into that beautiful brown gaze.

"I'm sorry I pushed you," he said quietly. "I just wanted so bad to be able to understand. I wanted to know what you were thinking because I don't really know what's going on all the time, even though I like to pretend I do. I can't even understand my own life. Sharpay was probably right. We shouldn't have gotten involved. I'm a selfish person. And I want things to happen to my liking. But I just don't understand you! And how can I, when you don't say a word?!"

Ryan stopped before he could work himself up again.

"I'm sorry. For anything I did. But I just want you to know that I don't like hurting people! I just can't seem to help myself."

And finally Ryan looked up. But when he stared into Chad's eyes, he saw nothing. No emotion. No concern. No anger. Just a blank emptiness.

Ryan turned before he could make another fool of himself and swiftly walked up the trail to the cabins, feeling his heart breaking as he left Chad behind.

His mind was numb as he walked back, passing other campers along the way. And yet, he knew exactly where he was going. Exactly where he wanted to be.

Sharpay was alone when he found her in her cabin. She looked up as he walked in and scooted over on her bed, so that he could sit beside her, leaning back against the headboard. A dull throb pulsed between his shoulders, but he ignored it in favor of turning to his sister.

"Please," he said sharply, desperately, as she opened her mouth to make a remark. "Just this once, don't say anything. I already feel like enough of a fool."

Sharpay bit back whatever she was going to say, but glared silently at him. He stared helplessly back at her, wanting his sister to make things right again, like she always did. Sharpay sighed after awhile.

"So what are you going to do now?" she said, managing to keep her voice neutral, not betraying what she thought of the whole situation. Ryan was grateful for it.

"I don't know," he admitted feebly, turning to stare out the window. The clouds were thickening in the sky, turning slightly grey, though the sun still shone through bright and yellow.

"Looks like it might rain," Sharpay commented idly from beside him, allowing him his moment of escape.

Ryan hummed agreeably, thinking of the rainy summer days back in Newport. A wave of nostalgia flowed through him.

"I miss Mom," he said softly, turning to face his sister once more. Sharpay met his gaze, eyebrows furrowing slightly and mouth turning into a soft scowl as she looked at him. She reached for her phone sitting beside her and flipped it open, already dialing.


	25. Chapter 25

Chad kicked idly at the rocks near his feet, not putting enough force behind it to send them into the water from where he was sitting about three feet away. A cloud moved over the sun for a moment, blocking the light, before it came flooding back in. The shifting of the clouds seemed to reflect Chad's mood at the moment, switching from dark and angry to something lighter and more sad.

He tried not to think about what Ryan had just told him. He wanted to stay angry with Ryan. He didn't want to delve into deeper issues, things that made old wounds open up again, wounds that weren't fully healed.

But as he sat there, worrying the rocks with his kicking, his mind couldn't help but wander. He tried to imagine how Ryan grew. What kind of life he had, away from the camp. Which only served to remind him of his own life away from camp, and that he really didn't want to think about.

Troy stumbled upon him a few minutes later, hair wild and windblown, dress disheveled and clingy, as if he had been running for some time. This was proved true when Chad glanced down at the heels in Troy's hands then down to the boy's bare feet.

"Hey," Troy breathed, winded. Chad nodded once at him, going back to kicking at the rocks. Troy came over and sat down next to him, setting his shoes aside and leaning back to rest on his elbows.

"Ryan's a fast runner," he commented, bringing up the one thing Chad really didn't want to hear about. "He should join track."

Chad huffed and moodily picked up a rock, tossing it into the lake after he had examined its flat surface. He didn't want to know the reason why Troy had been running after Ryan. He really didn't. Troy sighed beside him.

"Are you going to be like this for the rest of the summer?" he asked, startling Chad. Chad looked to his friend and saw the concern, but also determination in his features. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like whatever he was about to hear.

Chad put on an expression of confusion, which Troy glared at, turning to stare out into the lake.

"I'm not stupid, you know," Troy said. "Yeah, it may have taken me awhile to see, but that's because I was caught up with Gabriella. I've been told that I tend to have a one-track mind."

Chad snorted. Wasn't that the truth? But Troy decided to ignore his insult and continue on.

"You like him, don't you?"

Yeah, Chad wasn't going to like this talk.

"I don't know what exactly went on between the two of you, but there was something, right?"

'_Yeah, if you consider a few kisses and a handjob, something.'_ Chad shrugged.

"So why are you suddenly avoiding each other? This can't just be about Ryan's family owning the camp."

'_He lied! He kept that from me! And he used all of us to his advantage. I don't think I have to defend myself against him.'_

"Chad," Troy pleaded, making the silent boy turn to meet his friend's gaze. "Aren't you tired of always hiding behind a mask?"

Chad froze, staring into Troy's blue eyes, and absentmindedly wondered when his friend had gotten so deep.

"Oh, please, do continue," a voice snarked, interrupting whatever was passing between Chad and Troy in that moment. The boys turned to see Sharpay standing haughtily a few feet away, hands fixed on her hips and glaring right at Chad. However, it was Troy she spoke to.

"Let's hear what wisdom the great and wonderful Troy Bolton has to offer. Surely, he can shine some light on this horrible predicament."

"Shove off, Sharpay," Troy warned, already fixing to spring to his feet if the need arose, though what for, Chad had no idea. You couldn't fight Sharpay physically. It just didn't work that way. She had a much more sinister way of going about things.

Sharpay laughed merrily, though her brown eyes were narrowed into slits.

"And just what do you think you can do to me, Troy? I can have you thrown out of the camp for just thinking wrong about me."

"Look, whatever your problem is—" Troy began.

"My problem," Sharpay took over, "is that I can never seem to get rid of assholes like you who want to mess with my brother."

In that moment, Chad knew that Sharpay was the older one. Only an older sibling could give off the kind of protectiveness that Sharpay was for Ryan.

"Mess with him?!" Troy exclaimed. "We haven't done anything to him!"

"Don't lie to me," Sharpay ground out, stepping forward slowly, eyes flashing. Chad had to admit that she was really quite frightening.

"I'm Ryan's sister," she declared. "Do you think there's anything that he would ever keep from me? We came from the same womb, for god's sakes."

Troy halted at that, looking at the girl in front of him warily. She stared down at him with a look of disgust on her face.

"I know everything that went on here last summer. I know how you treated Ryan, so don't think I won't hold back. The only reason you're still here is that Ryan thinks we shouldn't hold our power over the rest of the campers." Sharpay scoffed, as if she was firmly in the belief that this was a bad idea.

"I—" Troy stuttered, unable to form any words.

"Right," Sharpay retorted. "You just keep thinking about that."

"And you," she continued, turning on Chad. "You stay away from my brother. If I ever see you again, I'll make sure that death will seem like heaven for you."

Chad gazed neutrally up at her. Sharpay narrowed her eyes at him, giving him one last glare before turning on her heel and marching off, long hair swinging behind her. She left silence in her wake, and Chad turned away from Troy, disgusted at his friend for weakening before her.

"She's right," Troy said after awhile, prompting Chad to look back at his friend in astonishment.

'_How can anything that creature says be right?'_ he wanted to know.

Troy glanced up into Chad's eyes before turning away again, bending his knees under his dress and hunching forward around them. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, but strong, as if he had been meaning to say this for a while.

"When I came here last summer, I didn't know anybody anymore than you did your first day here. And Ryan… well, he was as friendly as always, taking me around the place and introducing me to all the regulars. It was nice." Troy shrugged.

"But he was just so friendly. He seemed to get along with everyone. It got on my nerves." By everyone, Troy really meant Gabriella, but Chad didn't think Troy needed to say it.

"And yet, he would always come back to me, like I was his best friend or something. I started to wonder if he wasn't a bit mental."

Chad had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"And one time, we were just sitting in the rec room, listening to music or something, I don't even remember really. And he just leaned over and put his hand on my shoulder and I just snapped."

Chad looked down at the ground. So that was the whole mystery behind the Troy/Ryan fiasco.

"I know it was wrong. I mean, who am I to judge someone on their preferences when here I am, giving mixed signals myself. But since then, we never really got along. We avoided each other as much as possible, but whenever we were in the same room, the tension was there. I guess that was probably all my fault."

'_Maybe the bulk of it. But why are you telling me this?'_

"I'm not like that," Troy said, turning to face Chad once again. His blue eyes pleaded with Chad to understand.

"You have to know that I really have no problem with Ryan being gay. Or you, if you are," Troy added hastily. Chad rolled his eyes.

"I just lost my head."

'_Yeah, I suppose that tends to happen to you whenever you feel someone is hording Gabriella.'_

"But Chad, Ryan's a good person," Troy said softly, trying to project the importance of his statement. Any respite that Chad had gained during Troy's anecdote disappeared in a flash at those words.

"No, listen to me," Troy insisted when Chad made to move away. "Please. There's something I haven't told you. Told anyone about my reason for being here. Only the staff knows, and I guess, Ryan as well, though I don't know how he found out."

Chad, once again intrigued, turned to look at Troy who was biting his lower lip worriedly.

"I know everyone thinks that I'm here because my dad wants me to stop wearing girls clothes," he said, eyes big and downcast. "And that's true! But that's not all of it."

'_So you mean you weren't sent to camp for crossdressing,'_ Chad wondered.

"I didn't want to tell anyone," Troy said reluctantly. "I thought that if people knew, everyone would stay away from me."

Troy looked up at Chad, eyes distressed and begging. Chad didn't think he'd ever seen Troy so helpless before. It made him wonder what could be so bad to reduce Troy to such a state, to have the whole staff cover up for him.

"I—" Troy started, before pausing to lick his lips with his nervousness. "I like to burn things."

Chad stared.

"I guess people would say I'm a pyromaniac or an arsonist or something, but I think it's much simpler than that. I'm addicted to the flame. I don't know why. But that's why they don't use the fireplace in the rec room anymore or allow the camp to make bonfires at night. Anything that could cause a flame has been removed from the vicinity. I suppose they felt all this wood wouldn't be of much use to me if I had no way to start a fire or else I don't think they'd ever let me have come. I guess it's too much to handle if I were to tell everyone I'm a crossdressing pyromaniac."

Chad sat back and breathed out through his teeth, trying to process the whole situation. Troy stared at him with a little bit of worry shining in his eyes, though it was outweighed by a strong amount of defiance, as if he weren't about to let anyone say anything against him for revealing that he liked to set things aflame.

It was so… random, so utterly ridiculous, and yet so completely Troy. Chad supposed that it made sense, in a screwed up kind of way. He had never seen any signs of Troy's condition, but if the staff took such great pains to prevent it, he supposed he might have missed any Troy/fire related withdrawals.

Chad started laughing, because really, just how insane was this? Troy looked indignant which only made Chad laugh harder. After a few moments, Troy joined in as well, chuckling at his own expense, seeming to understand just how crazy this all was.

They eventually slowed, and Chad nodded once at Troy to show his understanding and watched as Troy grinned slowly from ear to ear, clearly overjoyed that Chad wasn't running in fear. Chad wanted to hit Troy for ever thinking he'd freak like that, but figured that Troy had a good reason for not wanting to tell anyone.

And that thought struck something inside of Chad.

Reasons. Everyone had reasons for doing certain things, hiding certain truths. Different motivations and intentions. Maybe, reasons were nothing but excuses, but they fueled the decisions behind every person's actions. If Chad were honest with himself, he had his own reasons for being the way that he was.

Chad sat up and stared at Troy, eyes wide with sudden understanding. And insight.

"He didn't tell anyone," Troy stated calmly, looking at Chad with an expression that seemed too mature to be lingering on Troy's face. Chad felt like a complete bastard. He stared desperately into Troy's face, looking for a clue, a sign, anything. Troy just nodded at him. But that was enough.

Chad was up and running before he could think about it, dashing back towards the cabins with that one-track determinedness that Troy was so fond of. He passed by other campers who looked on in confusion, probably wondering at all the running going on for the day, but Chad barely noticed them before he was past, already headed for cabin fourteen, situated near the back, far from the rest of the camp. His eyes glowed in triumph as he caught sight of large fourteen, painted in giant red letters above the door like a beacon calling in the night.

Chad dashed up the steps, fumbling for his key, before swinging the door open and stepping inside.

He stopped cold in his tracks.

Ryan's bed was stripped of all it's furnishings, his belongings gone, leaving only the mattress as evidence that someone had been there at all. Chad blinked at the sight, for a few seconds wondering where Ryan's stuff could have gone, before he wandered back out of the room, not even bothering to lock the door behind him.

He walked along at a slower pace, thinking of all the places Ryan could have relocated his things. Back to his old cabin, was Chad's first guess, but then he quickly dismissed it, thinking that if there were any place Ryan would go, it would be to cabin seven with the girls and his sister.

Chad stopped when he noticed something lying on the ground and looked down, realizing it was Ryan's hat, dark green with gold trimmings. Now that Chad thought back on it, Ryan hadn't been wearing his hat earlier down by the lake.

Chad bent to scoop it up, holding it up to dust off the dirt that covered it. But as Chad stood there holding it, a strange bad feeling started to work its way up his body.

Suddenly Chad was running again, weaving around the other cabins, hat clutched tightly in his hand. When he reached the cabin, he jumped the few steps up to the platform and burst into the room without worry or concern.

The girls were all huddled together in the center of the room, but they turned, startled, when Chad barged in. Chad knew, without having to look, that Sharpay's stuff wasn't there either.

He looked anyway.

A heavy stone dropped into his stomach, a cold despondence, as he surveyed the empty bed. Gone were the pink bed sheets and pillows. Gone were the various white something-or-others that had made up the whole of Sharpay's bed. An aching numbness started to spread through Chad slowly, drowning him under its weight.

Chad turned to the girls, all gazing at him with wide eyes of confusion and worry. Gabriella stepped forward out of the circle, walking slowly towards Chad with as much sympathy on her face as if she had been his own mother.

"Chad," she said softly, sorrowfully, knowing what it would mean to him. "She's gone."

Chad crumpled to the ground.


	26. Chapter 26

It took a couple of days before Chad figured out what he was going to do. And still he was unsure about certain aspects of his plan. There were holes all over the place. However, if there was one thing he was absolutely sure of, it was that he wasn't going to let Ryan go that easily. It wasn't going to end like this.

The camp staff had all treated the Evans' leaving as if it was no big deal. Yet, it seemed like all the campers had been affected, even those who hadn't interacted with the twins on a daily basis. And that was something that wasn't as easily ignored. Masters had already started complaining about the unresponsiveness of all the campers, and Linderman was hard-pressed to give him a solution.

At that particular moment, cabin seven had infiltrated cabin fourteen, though the atmosphere in the room was permeated with a certain sense of melancholy. Chad was lounging against the headboard of his bed with Troy and Gabriella snuggled up beside him, though even they were keeping their interactions to a limit. Which was good in Chad's opinion because he wasn't sure how he felt about seeing Gabi snuggle up to a guy who was already in girl's clothing. Especially on his bed.

On the bed next to him, Kelsi was lying half on top of Jason, which seemed to put the boy at a loss, though she was still, for once not trying to work her way into someone's clothes. Her arms made a pillow on Jason's chest, and she was gazing off at nothing in particular. Jason seemed to have relaxed enough to rest an arm around her in return. But they, like Troy and Gabi, were also silent.

The only noise in the room came from the three playing cards on the floor in the middle of the room. Martha had brought over a deck and was playing blackjack with Zeke and Taylor, only speaking when it was absolutely necessary. Otherwise, the only sounds were the shuffling of the cards and the soft flip and snap of them hitting the floor.

The silence was driving Chad crazy.

He hadn't realized it, but ever since coming to Camp HumuHumu, Chad had always been constantly surrounded by sound, talking and laughing, the kind of noise you get when living with a group of other people. Chad was just starting to realize how much he missed it.

It was surprising, but back at home, Chad had isolated himself from all of that, all the comforts of everyday noise. He hadn't realized just how much he was missing, until it was suddenly gone. Along with Ryan.

Chad sat up, drawing the room's attention. Normally, he'd be upset that such a small thing would attract so much notice, but he was too worked up at the moment to care.

'_I've sat here for too long. I need to get moving. There's been too much thinking. Not enough action.'_

Chad suddenly swung his legs off the bed, drawing Troy out of his spot next to Gabriella.

"Chad?" he asked, his voice sounding overly loud in the quiet room.

'_Yes!'_ Chad wanted to scream, wanted to shout to the world. Only the thought of scaring his friends kept him from doing so. But he badly wanted the noise.

Chad turned to stare at his friend, meeting his blue eyes, trying to convey with just one look just how much he was feeling, how determined he was. Troy stared back at him wonderingly for a few seconds, before he seemed to understand and nodded.

As if this was some kind of cue, everyone in the room was suddenly up and alert, the somber atmosphere from before completely gone.

"What do you need me to do?" Troy asked, the question seemingly echoed by the rest of the group.

For a moment, Chad was gripped with uncertainty. Why were they all looking to him? He wasn't used to such attention. But as he stared at all their faces, waiting for a sign from him, he suddenly understood what it was like to have friends. True friends that were willing, ready to do whatever they could, that shared in your pain and reveled in your happiness. It was a powerful feeling, Chad decided as a rush of headiness and went through him.

Chad stared around the room, thinking quickly. Then he moved over to Troy's bed and pulled a big brown box out from underneath, setting in on Troy's bed. Zeke came over to help him as he pulled it open and started lifting items out, shoes, makeup, jewelry, and finally their dresses.

"Oh, wow," Gabi breathed as she took in the sight of Chad's black and white prom dress, the ribbon Zeke had swiped earlier on in the summer sewn carefully around the waist by Jason, complete with the black heels Troy had lent him and the choker Ryan had picked out for him.

"So it's Operation DRAG plan B," Troy commented, already moving to get some paper to make a list of what would be needed.

"But I thought the escape route was a bust," Jason said. "Didn't Masters increase the security around the service gate after he caught me—" Jason cut off abruptly as he realized his mistake.

"Yeah, Ryan's a good guy," Zeke said quietly, not mentioning the fact that the blond had covered for many of them on several occasions. It didn't need to be said.

"Wait," Taylor said, "you mean you guys were planning to escape from here using the service gate… and dresses?"

"Well, yeah," Zeke replied as if it was obvious.

"I can't even believe how many things are wrong with that plan," Taylor said, shaking her head.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway because we have no way to get out of here with all the extra security they placed around the service gate," Jason said.

"The service gate?" Kelsi repeated questioningly. She had a look on her face that said some scheming was about to go underway. Chad was surprised at how proud he was for it. "I think that can be dealt with."

She was already pulling Martha away to start planning.

"Leave it to us girls. We'll figure out a way," she said, exiting the cabin with Martha in tow.

"I guess I'll have to fix all the other holes in your plan," Taylor said, moving over to sit by Troy. "You'll need to figure out how to get to the airport once you're out of here, plus the money for tickets to Rhode Island? Not gonna be cheap. We'll also need to sneak into Masters or Linderman's office to find out the actual address. And you'll need more money for a taxi ride out to the house."

Troy bent his head with Taylor's, and they started discussing.

"Guess I need to do adjustments," Jason sighed, moving to get the sewing machine from out under his bed.

Gabi went over to Chad and Zeke who were still pulling things out of the box and laying them out wherever there was space. She ran her hand down Chad's dress, admiring the design. She stopped when she came to the choker and fingered it gently. This caught Zeke's attention.

"Uh," he stuttered, already floundering for an explanation, but she just smiled softly at him, before turning to Chad.

"You're going to look great in this," she commented, making Chad flush slightly.

"Do you know what you're going to do with your hair?" she asked him, to which he shook his head sheepishly.

"Don't worry. I'll help," she said, beaming up at him. Chad grinned gratefully back at her.

"Aw, man, we're gonna have to shave our legs, aren't we?" Jason cried suddenly, prompting the room to erupt with laughter.

"Dude. Speak for yourself," Zeke said, moving over to his own bed. "I've got a long dress." He pulled a pair of shoes out from his bottom drawer and brought them over to lay them beside his dress and wig.

"Where'd you get those?" Jason asked. Zeke winked conspiratorially at him.

"Ryan helped me get them when we were in town," he replied.

"But hadn't we decided not to go through with the plan by then?" Jason wondered. Chad thought this was a sound question. Why would you get girls shoes if you didn't need them?

"You never know when you might need something," was all Zeke had to say.

Gabriella giggled brightly as Jason proceeded to stare at Zeke in great confusion, but the other boy had already turned away, dismissing the subject. Gabi then turned and pushed Chad to sit on Zeke's bed before leaning forward to run her hands through his hair, 'hmming' speculatively as she stared at his curls.

Chad settled back and let her work. Though he wanted to hurry every along, anxious to get to Ryan, he knew that working things out for their actual escape would take some time. However, as Kelsi and Martha came back from scoping out the service gate and went to join Troy and Taylor in the planning, Chad felt that things were starting to come together.

Around him, everyone was working diligently, and yet they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Their inactivity and listlessness had been replaced with a new goal, a purpose. Chad smiled.

Suddenly, Ryan didn't seem so far away after all.


	27. Chapter 27

"Ducky!" Ryan's mother cried as she came to enfold him in a hug.

"Mom," Ryan replied, holding her tightly to him. He soaked in her presence as they hugged, taking as much comfort as he could without seeming too desperate. His parents had been away on business when he and Sharpay had gotten back, and he had been disappointed to come home to receive no welcome back.

"Oh, honey. How's my precious boy?" she said softly, stroking his back soothingly. Ryan sighed and buried his face in her shoulder, wondering how mothers always seemed to know something was wrong.

"Mom!" Sharpay exclaimed, startling them out of their hug before he could reply.

"Kitten," the elder woman greeted warmly, holding out her arm for her daughter. Sharpay crossed the room quickly and snuggled up to their mother, holding tightly for a moment before letting go.

"Did you get back just now?" Sharpay asked.

"Yes. I'm so sorry to have missed you," Mrs. Evans replied, running her hands through Ryan's hair lovingly, not commenting on his not wearing a hat.

"However when I heard you were here, I came back as quickly as I could. How was camp?" she asked, turning to her daughter.

"Terrible," Sharpay replied, already set to start into a rant.

"It wasn't that bad," Ryan said, halting his sisters words. His sister glared at him. "I just missed home."

"Oh, Ducky," his mom said, pressing a kiss against his temple. "I'm glad you're here. Your father and I have missed you both so much."

"Is Daddy here?" Sharpay asked, bringing their mother's attention back onto herself.

"I'm afraid he couldn't get away, but he'll be back tomorrow. And he's planning a get-together to welcome you back. All the family and friends will be here."

Sharpay smiled at their mom, frowning the next second.

"You're not going to send Ryan to that place next summer, are you, Mom? Really, I don't think it's as beneficial as they made it out to be."

"We'll see," Mrs. Evans replied, stroking her hand down Ryan's cheek in reassurance before moving to go up the long set of steps that made up the staircase in the entryway.

"Well, let me get settled in. Then how about having some lunch? I'll see if Lucille can make up some cookies, and then how about ice cream and a movie?"

"That sounds wonderful," Sharpay replied, Ryan nodding along with his sister. Their mom beamed at them and turned to move up the staircase.

Ryan stared after her for a while, before following Sharpay into the entertainment room where his sister had already made herself comfortable. The huge flatscreen was already set to her preferred channel, Nicole Kidman twirling on screen, enticing men in tuxedos to her side, but Sharpay was staring up at him expectedly.

Ryan sat down beside her, and she immediately shifted to his presence, leaning comfortably against his side, arms entwined around one of his and head pillowed on his shoulder. They sat quietly for a few moments, just watching 'Moulin Rouge' companionably, as if everything was normal. However, Ryan knew it wouldn't last. He was proved right when Sharpay sighed against him.

"Aren't you happy that we're home?" she asked him, not quite accusing, but still with an impatient tone in her voice.

"Of course I am," Ryan replied. "But that doesn't make things automatically better."

Sharpay made a disgruntled noise in her throat as if she thought otherwise.

"Well, can't you just hurry up with your moping and get back to being normal? Why don't you wear black for a day and see how that helps?"

"And you'd be okay with that?" Ryan asked skeptically, ignoring his sister's selfish impatience for the moment.

"Of course not!" Sharpay declared angrily. "But if it'll get you back to your usual self, then I'll allow it."

Ryan looked down at his sister watching the screen as if she was unaffected by their conversation. He smiled briefly. Sharpay would always be concerned with herself first and foremost, her own immediate happiness, but Ryan was glad to know that he was part of that, part of the world that was so important to her. He'd go so far as to say that being happy himself was important to Sharpay, so therefore important to her own happiness, her own gain.

Ryan knew his sister wasn't the block of ice she made herself out to be. She did care for things other than herself. They just usually didn't rate high enough on the importance scale to merit any notice.

Ryan was happy that Sharpay considered him important enough, his happiness for her happiness.

"I'll try it out," he told her.

She nodded as if she had expected this the whole time, eyes never leaving the TV. Ryan turned his attention back to the screen just as his mother came in, dressed in more casual clothing than she had been wearing before. She came and settled down beside him, tucking her arm around his back.

Here, sandwiched between his mother and sister, Ryan finally felt like he could relax.


	28. Chapter 28

Chad fidgeted in his clothing, bringing his hand up to touch the hair Gabi had styled so carefully just a few hours ago. Troy slapped his hand away before he could do much damage and gestured at him to keep still. Chad swallowed heavily and shifted once more before steeling his resolve and nodding. He was ready.

The sun was shining its early morning light down on them, casting shadows over their faces. The four of them were huddled behind cabin one, waiting silently for their cue to move. If Chad moved to his left, he could peek around the corner of the cabin and see the side of the main building and the two security guards talking quietly outside of Masters' office window, just a few feet away from the service gate. The supply truck was parked a ways down and was being unloaded, but no attention was being paid to the open gate.

They had been up for hours getting ready, way before the time any of them usually got up. Chad was sure he would have been tired if it weren't for the adrenaline currently running through his system. Any moment now the girls would have finished implementing their part of the plan and Chad and the others would be able to rush out of the service gate. It was a good thing as well because Chad was getting tired of standing there in those heels.

Too many times that morning he had already damned the craziness of girls as he had struggled into all that went into his outfit. Gabi had labored getting him into the simple black bustier the girls had managed to produce, saying that he couldn't wear a normal bra since the straps would be easily seen in his prom dress and he had to have something because they needed to stuff him to make it look real.

So in addition to the hour and a half it had taken to straighten and style his hair, plus the half hour it took to put on his makeup, he was now fully decked out in a dress and heels, looking as much a girl as Troy usually looked. Even better, according to Kelsi, earning an angry complaint from Jason about how everyone always looked better than him, which was quickly soothed away by a quick kiss from the small girl. Even now, Jason was still walking on cloud nine.

However as the minutes kept ticking by and the alarm still hadn't been raised, Chad was sure he wasn't the only one growing despondent. Zeke was leaning back against the cabin wall, thumping his wigged head softly against the wood, his long skirts held tightly in his hands to keep the hems from dragging on the ground.

Troy was tapping his foot nervously, seeming to forget his earlier berating of Chad to keep still. He ran his hands down his miniskirt, following the material to where it ended well above his knee, exposing a large amount of thigh. Zeke was the only one to have gotten out of last night's shaving party, but he had hung around to watch the others discomfort while the girls happily stripped them of another sign of their masculinity. Technically, Troy hadn't needed it, as he shaved his legs regularly in order to wear most of his outfits without looking like a major freak, but Gabriella had still taken much pleasure from taking a razor to the crossdresser's legs.

Jason expelled a breath noisily, drawing everyone's attention, and they all promptly gestured angrily at him to keep it down.

"Sorry," Jason whispered, looking down sheepishly, letting his straightened bangs fall into his heavily kohled eyes. Troy opened his mouth, looking ready to start drilling into the boy about discretion and whatnot, when a commotion sounded from behind them. Chad looked quickly and watched as a member of the kitchen staff started arguing angrily with one of the people unloading the truck. The voices attracted the attention of the security guards who turned to watch the scene unfold.

"Not yet," Troy breathed from behind him.

They watched as more of the kitchen staff came to join the discussion, growing so loud that Chad was sure they'd be waking up the campers soon with their shouting.

"So they've been locked out of the kitchens," Troy said quietly, marking their plan's progress. Chad nodded, breathing suddenly much faster. Soon now.

'_And there it is,'_ Chad told himself, as Masters came running to join the group, Linderman hot on his heels. Quick words were exchanged before the whole lot went off running around to the other side of the building, security guards in tow.

"And now they've locked themselves in the rec room," Troy said.

A moment seemed to pass where the boys were still, not even breathing. Then they were running. Out from behind the cabin, past the main doors of the building and past the station where the guards had set themselves up. And they were out. Past the gate. Into the woods.

Chad kept moving, trying not to stumble in his heels, knowing that the others were hot on his tail. He kept close to the edge of the trees, keeping his eye on the lake to his left, tracking his progress. And still he kept running. There was only so much time the girls could buy them before they got those doors unlocked and the staff realized that Troy wasn't going fire-happy in the kitchens and the boys weren't there in the rec room with the girls, weren't in the camp at all.

Chad ran with this in mind, letting his body take over, remembering when he used to sprint like this on a daily basis, back when he still took part in school activities. His mind shut down and he just ran, the strain in his muscles telling him he was doing something right.

"Chad!" Troy gasped from behind him, sounding farther away than he should have. This triggered something in Chad's mind, and he abruptly stopped, staggering a few steps forward so that he didn't fall over.

He turned just as the others caught up to him, slowing until they were all together again, breathing heavily.

"Dude!" Zeke gasped, winded.

"I think you're even faster than Ryan," Troy commented, startling Chad into a fit of giggles.

Troy chuckled along with him, moving to lean back against a tree. The crossdresser looked up at the branches above him, breathing in deeply for a moment before looking down again.

"We have to keep moving," he said, to which the others nodded. "The taxi's probably already waiting."

"But slower this," Jason said, making them laugh lightly. Chad nodded his head, smiling, turning to lead them on to the other side of the lake.

The taxi was waiting when they came upon the house on the edge of the lake.

"Thank god," Zeke said, climbing into the backseat. It was a bit crammed with the four of them, but Chad was also incredibly grateful at the chance to sit. His feet were killing him, and he had no idea how he was still breathing with the bustier holding him in place. He couldn't even slump properly against the seat, but took comfort that they were on their way. And the only way the camp would be able to catch up with them was if they reached the airport before they did. And Chad had a feeling they were still working out the rec room problem.

'_Note to self. Never get on any of the girls' bad sides.'_

Every so often the taxi driver would glance at his rearview mirror with curious eyes, but he never said anything. Chad wasn't sure if he should be acting like a girl at the moment or not, so as to avoid suspicion, but with a glance at Troy, who was acting completely normal, as much as was possible for Troy, Chad decided against it. After all, they weren't likely to fool everyone with their outfits. So really, the best he could hope for was that people thought they were four crazy drag queens and leave them alone.

Chad idly wondered how Troy usually went about this.

'_I mean, he's always dressed like a girl, even back home, right? So that means he goes all over the place in his wig and stuff. And he's never had any trouble?'_ Chad thought that was highly unlikely. But Troy had always seemed comfortable around people, even when they had been in town.

Chad turned to look at his friend's profile, a strong feeling of understanding washing over him. It must be hard to be Troy. Not only with the dresses, but the fire thing as well. Chad swore to himself to find out how Troy usually got along, but only until after this trip was over. There was enough to deal with at the moment.

Which brought Chad back into the present where he was currently squashed into the back of a taxi cab with four other guys, all decked out in girls clothing.

'_Only for Ryan,' _Chad thought, wanting to roll his eyes.

He squirmed in his position, locked between Troy and the door, wanting more room. But he knew he wouldn't be able to get it until they arrived at the airport. Which wouldn't be for another hour at least.

Anxiety welled up in Chad at the thought. Even though they had planned all this out, had Taylor go over every little detail at least a dozen times, there was still a lot that could go wrong. Chad inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, thinking of Ryan, of how everything always seemed to go right for the blond, even when it was clearly not.

He let out his breath and opened his eyes. This was going to work. It had to.


	29. Chapter 29

Ryan groaned as he looked blearily up at his alarm clock, numbers shining brightly at him in the semi-darkness of his room. Nine twenty. Way too early.

He turned to look at what had woken him up, and watched as Sharpay continued to take apart his closet, loudly declaring that they really needed to go shopping and he needed more black if he was going to go about on his moping extravaganza.

Ryan whined sleepily and burrowed under his blankets, hoping if he stayed there long enough she'd give up and go away. But Ryan must have really still been half asleep to think that Sharpay would ever do such a thing, as the next moment, he heard the curtains being pulled open and felt the warmth of the sunlight fall across his bed.

"Time to get up," Sharpay said cheerfully, pulling at his covers and yanking them off in one swoop. Ryan yelped and covered his eyes to block out the light.

""I thought you were letting me mope today," he managed to groan out.

"Yeah, so time to get up and start moping," his sister replied as if it was obvious. She took one of his wrists and pulled hard, dragging Ryan off the bed into a heap on his bedroom floor. Ryan blinked groggily up at her as she smiled down at him.

"Wouldn't it be more beneficial if I moped while in bed? That would clearly get the whole self-pitying across more fluently."

"No, Ryan," Sharpay replied, rolling her eyes as if she thought this was a pointless discussion. "You need to sulk in front of other people! That works much faster."

Ryan really didn't see how it did, but he thought it wise not to argue. Only Sharpay would ever think like this. Technically, he knew that she wouldn't allow him to go about this properly, only letting him go so far before she drew the line, but he had still hoped she'd let him sleep at least until his usual summer hour. Eleven thirty was still a long ways away.

Ryan gazed longingly at his queen-sized bed, thinking of all the wonderful sleep he could be getting. He really wasn't a morning person, even on his better days, and the only thing that would have him up and moving was the fact that appearances must be maintained. One couldn't go about bitching and moaning about the horribleness of the day, or look anything less than fabulous. Sharpay would never have it.

But at the moment, Ryan was too downhearted to care. He just wanted to sleep. And Sharpay was taking that luxury away from him. A small heap of clothes hit him in the face before falling into his lap.

"Go take a shower. Clean yourself up. We're going to the mall to get outfits for our party tonight."

Ryan gazed down at what Sharpay had selected for him. His most form-fitting pair of black trousers and his tight silk black button-down with his shimmering black fedora.

'_Figures,'_ Ryan thought. This was going to be sulking Sharpay style, which meant ordering people about while still looking as fabulous as possible. There'd be no staying in bed with a carton of ice cream in the ducky pajamas his mom had bought him, wasting away the hours by watching trashy reality shows and cartoons.

Ryan felt that this whole moping episode was going to turn out to be more effort than it was worth.

"Now, Ryan!" Sharpay demanded, kick-starting Ryan's day. He picked himself up off the floor and headed towards his connecting washroom to prepare for what was sure to be a disaster of a day, not realizing that at that very moment, hundreds of miles away, a group of boys were getting ready to bust out of their summer camp to travel across the country just to see him.


	30. Chapter 30

Chad, Troy, and Zeke walked hastily through the morning crowd at the airport, Jason having stayed behind to pay the driver. Troy was clutching a small piece of paper to him as he gazed around at the different airlines, Taylor's tiny, concise writing detailing all the information they needed.

When he found the right airline, he walked up to the counter, Chad and Zeke trailing behind him. He cleared his throat loudly, attracting the attention of the lady behind the desk.

"Hi," he said nervously, keeping his voice smooth and polite, a few octaves higher than he normally used.

"How can I help you?" the woman asked cheerily, apparently normal. Still, Chad held his breath, unable to relax just yet.

"The flight to Providence at ten thirty," Troy stuttered slightly, fidgeting with the paper in his hands.

The woman was already moving to her computer, completely ignoring the clock behind her that read ten fifteen. Chad bit down on his bottom lip, feeling the tension churning in his stomach the longer she kept searching.

"Flight to Providence, stopping in Dallas. Ten thirty. That the one?" she finally said.

Troy nodded.

"How many seats?" the woman asked.

"F—"

"Two," Zeke said before Troy could finish.

"What?!" Troy exclaimed, turning to look at Zeke. Chad was staring at Zeke in confusion.

"Dude, you didn't really think all four of us would be able to go, did you?" Zeke said to the both of them. He pulled out the credit card that his mother had given to him to be used for emergencies. "Besides, how much do you think is actually on this thing? It's not gonna pay for all of us."

Chad and Troy stared solemnly at Zeke, both knowing he was right, the woman waiting impatiently behind the counter, though she was watching the scene with slight curiosity. Chad had honestly thought that it was going to be the four of them, on some crazy adventure to rescue the damsel in distress or some other such nonsense. But now…

"Dude," Troy told him quietly. And just those words seemed to express everything he could not, how much the situation totally sucked and how awesome Zeke was being at the moment.

"Jason already knows," Zeke said. "He's waiting with the taxi. We're going back to see if we can't delay the troops longer for you guys."

Chad and Troy glanced at each other, both anxious at the time slowly ticking away.

"Go on," Zeke urged, looking at Chad. "Get your lover boy back."

Chad grinned at the taller boy, towering over them in his wig and gown.

'_God, this is crazy.'_

He turned to Troy who nodded once, punching Zeke lightly in the arm before turning back to woman.

"Two," he said confidently, and the woman proceeded to ring up their tickets, not even bothering to ask if they had any luggage, which they obviously didn't, but that was beside the point.

"Bring him back, yeah?" Zeke said to Chad, causing the boy to look up to meet his eyes. He stared for a long while, not sure what he was searching for, but eventually nodded.

Zeke grinned.

"Got 'em," Troy said, holding up the tickets proudly.

"You guys better fly," Zeke said, indicating the clock, now reading ten twenty.

"Shit. Let's go," Troy said, but Chad was already off, hastily waving goodbye to Zeke and heading towards the escalators.

Ten minutes later and they were seated on the plane, waiting for it took take off. Chad leaned back into his seat, happy, but tired. He couldn't help but feel that Zeke and Jason should have been there with them.

'_Well, nothing we can do about it now.'_

Next to him, Troy was fidgeting with his seatbelt, but he stopped to grin briefly at Chad in understanding.

'_Still, this seems right,'_ Chad thought. _'Just me and Troy. Almost like it's always been this way.'_ Chad wasn't sure how to describe the feeling exactly, just a sense that this was how things should be. It was funny.

There was the whole lot of them, including the girls, scheming away, friends and relationships all, but still all together. Then there were just the guys, Jason, Zeke, Troy, Chad. All of them like a team. And then just the two of them, as if that was how it was meant to be.

'_No,'_ Chad reconsidered, scrunching his nose. There was also Ryan. Ryan and Sharpay. Somehow they fit into the mix as well, even though they seemed as different as could be.

'_Ryan,'_ Chad breathed in deeply, looking over Troy's body to see out the window. This was why he was here. It was all because of Ryan. His life was where it was at the moment because of one blond boy with a tendency to lie and a love for sparkly hats. All the choices he had struggled through, all the friends he had made, was only possible through Ryan's influence. And since he had gone, things hadn't been the same. For any of them.

Ryan did belong. The others had realized it, and now Chad did too. And as the plane finally started to move forward, Chad promised that he'd make sure Ryan realized the same thing before the day was out.


	31. Chapter 31

Ryan stood dutifully off to the side with Sharpay as his mother and father went around greeting everyone. He knew that in just a few moments, he'd be required to make small talk as well, something he really didn't feel up to at the moment. But his dad had gone through all the trouble of putting this thing together, and it wasn't like Ryan was a stranger to acting opposite of how he felt.

Sharpay had made sure he was dressed for the part too. Yes, he was technically still moping. He was wearing all black, so at least Sharpay had stuck to that end of the deal. But she had also made sure that he was looking no less than perfect, ready to socialize, which rather defeated the purpose of a good sulk in Ryan's opinion.

She had dolled him up in the finest tuxedo she could find on such short notice, completely fitted to his body, and had bought him a new hat to match. Ryan was feeling very pampered indeed. All day, Sharpay had gone about doing things for him. Obviously, they were intended for her own selfish sense of well-being, but he had still been in mind. And his mother had doted on him lovingly as well, providing all that motherly affection only she could. Even his father had gone out of his way when he had returned, offering praise by telling Ryan how proud he was of him for doing his best at camp.

And usually Ryan would have loved this, would have soaked it all up for the blessing it was. But today…

He hadn't allowed himself to think about Chad since he had gotten home, telling himself it would be easier to just forget everything and go on the way he had been for the last several years. But even Ryan knew he was lying to himself. He didn't really want that, didn't want to feel the way he had before. Lost. Like he was drowning. Only there was no succumbing to the dark, just a continuous aching, a gradual dulling of all his senses that never seemed to end, even when he pasted smiles on his face and resorted to funny stories to appease everyone, to do what was expected of him.

And Ryan was scared to admit that he was tired of it. Tired of pretending for their sakes. He wanted to be selfish right now. He wanted to storm up to his room and lock himself in for a week without speaking to anybody, regardless of how much he knew it would hurt his family. He wanted to cry until there was nothing left in him but a dry well. He wanted to sleep the days away and damned if Sharpay threw a hissy fit for it.

But what he wanted most of all, what he really desired to the very core of his being, was to be in Chad's arms at that very moment. He wanted to snuggle in as close as he could and lose himself in the sensation, take in the warmth of Chad's body, the smell of his hair, feel his arms wrapped tight around him, holding him close too because to let go would leave the both of them feeling like only half of themselves. And he wanted, no craved, to hear Chad whisper to him, sweet words that meant nothing, but at the same time everything because they came from Chad.

And Ryan knew that he had wanted this for awhile, even back before they had started whatever it was that had been happening between them, despite understanding that Chad had his reasons for staying silent. But he couldn't help it. So Ryan had choked down on his want, only to have it come crashing down on him now.

Ryan clenched his fist tightly, closing his eyes briefly, trying to breathe regularly. His body felt slow, unresponsive, and it took twice the amount of effort it had taken to get up this morning just to open his eyes again. Somehow, he managed to look at Sharpay, decked out in slim white dress beside him, smiling brilliantly at everyone who happened to glance her way. She hadn't noticed his state yet, gazing as she was across the room to where their father was gesturing for them to come join him.

And there was the choice. He could refuse to along with this charade any longer, just ignore everyone and waltz right on up to his room, or he could plaster on his smile and follow Sharpay into the crowd. He could walk away right now. No one had noticed yet. No one had bothered to pay attention. It would be so easy. But he could just as easily see the look of sad disappointment that would be forever etched on his sister's face, on his mother's too.

So Ryan smiled, making it real, and walked confidently on, though inside his body was protesting every movement, just one step behind Sharpay, like always.

Ryan was a master at using mind over body, over heart, controlling every aspect of himself that he possibly could, containing anything that would be seen as a negative.

And so he went.


	32. Chapter 32

The sky was just darkening into night when the taxi dropped them off at the address that had been printed on Taylor's little paper. Chad blamed the barely cooling night on the long summer days, which stretched on forever with their light, despite the late hour. Troy stepped up beside him as the taxi drove off and gazed up at the building in front of them.

"There's no way that's a house," Troy said, and Chad had to agree.

The place was gigantic, practically a mansion, stretching up and out, with an abundance of green lawn and large trees towering over them on either side of the house.

Chad gulped.

'_Ryan actually lives here?!'_

It couldn't be possible, and yet, Zeke himself had stolen the address out of Masters' files, so it had to be the truth. But it was just so unbelievable. And to top it all off, they were right by the coast. Chad's mind boggled at the idea of just how much this all cost. Technically, he has known the Ryan and Sharpay were well off, but he had never guessed just how much. Though, he guessed it made sense if they could afford to build an entire camp hundreds of miles away, practically on the other side of the country, just for Ryan.

It was just too much.

The gates were open, and dozens of cars were littering the area, which gave rise to the fact that the Evans' were probably throwing a party of some sort. Chad supposed that would make it easier to get in without much of a problem, provided that invitations weren't required. But a party. It was enough to make Chad back away from the place slowly.

Troy turned to look at Chad beside him, only to find the boy wasn't there. The crossdresser turned to look behind him and caught sight of Chad slowly edging away, his eyes on the house before him, wary.

"What's up?" Troy asked casually, prompting Chad to turn his fearful eyes onto him, a look of desperation on his face. It took awhile before Troy got it.

"Dude," Troy said. "You're not giving up. You can't."

Troy advanced on Chad slowly, eyes wide and incredulous. Chad shook his head helplessly at his friend.

"After all this effort?!" Troy said in exasperation, waving his hands vaguely. "After all this, you're gonna be cowed by a house?"

Chad knew it'd be hopeless to point out, even if he did talk, that this whole thing was insane. After all, he had wanted it. And he had been waiting, planning for this moment this whole time that now it seemed unreal. Some tiny part of him had never thought this would actually work, even though he had told himself numerous times that he would make it work. But he had always thought that they'd be stopped at some point, that the camp would finally catch up to him, and he'd never get the chance to see Ryan again. Of course, he hadn't wanted that to happen, and that was why they had taken so many precautions against it. And it made Chad wonder over how far he had thought the camp was going to follow him, all the way to Rhode Island? They probably didn't even know he was going to Rhode Island. After all wouldn't it be more likely for him to head back to California or some other place?

"Dude, you can't give up now," Troy stated once more, coming up to him and looking him in the eyes firmly. "You've made it all this way. You've broken out of summer camp and traveled across the whole country to talk to this guy. Don't you think that's saying something?"

'_Like what?'_ Chad wanted to know because he was at a loss as to why he had done such a thing when it was clearly a wasted effort.

"Ryan," Troy said. And that was it. "Would you really have come all this way if he wasn't that important to you? Would any of this even have happened? So don't tell me you're going to just quit and walk away without even going in to see him, without even doing what you came to do. I'm not letting you give this up without a fight. If I have to tie the two of you to the fireplace and threaten to burn the whole house down until you make up, I will. Because I know how you feel about him. Without you even having to say it. I know."

Chad stared into Troy's eyes, somewhat awed by the boy at the moment. It struck him as slightly ironic that his friend, his crossdressing straight pyromaniac friend, was giving him a pep talk on the steps of his kind of boyfriend's gigantic house about going after what he wanted.

Yeah, Troy was kind of awesome.

Chad heaved in a huge breath, already throwing his arms around the other boy, a lump forming in his throat, but his smile genuine on his face, pushed into Troy's shoulder because of the hug. Troy wrapped his arms around him in return, holding on for a few moments before pushing Chad away, grinning himself.

"Alright. Alright. You're going to get your gay cooties on me," Troy said playfully, smiling at Chad when he started laughing.

'_Oh, like you need any help there,_' Chad grinned, seeing as they both were still dressed in their runway outfits of shame.

"Besides," Troy continued as they made their way up the path to the front door. "We don't have any way of getting back to New Mexico, so we would have had to come back anyway."

Chad turned to stare at Troy in horror, just as the door swung open and they were allowed entrance into the house.


	33. Chapter 33

After a couple of hours of trailing behind Sharpay, greeting guests, smiling when he was expected to, and twirling a few of his cousins around the dance floor, Ryan decided that it was easier than he had expected. This kind of behavior was practically ingrained in Ryan's being. All he had to do was let his body taken him through the steps, like a well-rehearsed dance. And eventually he no longer had to push himself to do these things, they just happened. And he could let his mind wander, so that he didn't have to hear all the comments about his condition, whether they were good or not.

So as it happened, Sharpay had come to collect from the clutches of one of his aunts, as they had split up some time ago, when his sister was satisfied that he was doing what he should be doing, and they were walking across the floor, Sharpay no doubt leading him to another one of their relatives, when he stopped abruptly and stared across the room.

Because he could swear that it was Chad staring back at him.

"Ryan! What—" Sharpay began, cutting herself off when she noticed the people in front of them.

"You," she breathed harshly, as Troy and Chad made their way across the room to them, both apparently wearing dresses, though Troy's was obscenely shorter than normal, Ryan idly noted. And wasn't that just something to behold? And Chad was staring right at him, his eyes only for Ryan, those big brown orbs locked right on his person. It was almost too good to be true. Ryan was half-expecting to wake up from this dream any time now to find himself alone in his bed with Sharpay walking in to get him up for the day. He would have convinced himself of the fact too, if it hadn't been for the last few hours that he knew hadn't been part of a dream because no dream was that mundane, even the more normal ones.

"What are you two doing here?!" Sharpay hissed when they were finally in talking distance of each other, and it was something that she hadn't already dissolved into full-on screeching.

"I thought I warned you last time that if you ever came near—"

"Look, Sharpay," Troy interrupted her, further pissing Sharpay off. You did not interrupt Sharpay. But clearly, Troy had gained some balls over the last fours days, that or he was really just that stupid because he continued on. "Chad just came to see Ryan. We're not going to do anything."

"Like hell you're not! Ryan doesn't want to see Chad. Ryan doesn't want to have anything to do with any of you anymore, so why don't you just get the hell out of my house?!" Sharpay retorted, gaining in volume.

The two continued to argue, completely ignoring Chad and Ryan who were still staring silently at each other. Ryan realized that they were likely starting a scene, and his father wouldn't be pleased about that, but he decided to ignore that for the time being and leave it to Sharpay to fix later. He couldn't see anything but Chad at the moment.

The boy was wearing the prom dress Jason had made him for their whole escape thing almost a month ago, the design that Ryan had helped Chad create, specifically for his body. He looked stunning just standing there, but Ryan was pretty sure he would have appreciated Chad's presence there all the same, no matter what the boy was wearing. This was what Ryan had wanted, right? What he had longed for?

And yet, Chad just continued to stare at him, an expression in his eyes that Ryan couldn't quite place. It was unnerving him, because where he used to be so good at reading people, Chad seemed to have broken him in some way, and now he had no idea. And this silence between the two of them was killing him, making him want to do, to say something. But he didn't have the slightest clue as how to start.

And then he realized—he'd have to start. Chad would never begin a conversation, no matter how many times Ryan had dreamed about it. It just wasn't going to happen. And that thought drew a sword through Ryan's heart.

And now, Chad was looking at Ryan with something like desperation on his face, but Ryan didn't know what he wanted, didn't know what to do about it. Because Chad was here, and that was saying something. But Ryan didn't know what it meant, what Chad had thought he was going to do when he decided to come here.

Chad's eyes were pleading with him, trying to make him understand something that was obviously important, but Ryan already felt like this was all too much for him to handle. The chatter around him was being drowned out by his senses, and he didn't have the energy to work out what Chad was trying to get across. He felt like the whole world had slowed down, and this was all just some kind of illusion, like his mind was playing tricks with him. And Ryan couldn't deal with it.

He turned to where he knew his parents were watching at the front of the room with many friends and family members around them and started walking, head down like it should be. Only to be stopped a second later when he heard a whisper follow behind him.

"Ryan."

At least, that's what he thought he heard, though it was more likely to be a hallucination. After a moment, he started walking again, sure he was going crazy, when the voice came again.

"Ryan, please."

Ryan stopped short. Now, he was sure it was real. The voice was so soft, hardly much strength behind it, and it wavered and rasped as if it hadn't been used in a really long time. But it couldn't be, could it?

Ryan slowly turned back around. Chad was still standing there, still wearing that dress, still looking at him with the utmost anguish in his eyes. But in the next moment, he opened is mouth and there it was.

"Ryan."

And it was horrid and raspy with unuse, and it must have been hurting Chad's throat to just strain to be heard. But it was the most wonderful thing Ryan had ever heard because Chad had said it, said his name, said it for him, and Ryan had been so sure that Chad would never talk again for the rest of his life.

Ryan's breath caught in his throat, and he struggled to breathe, to say something. Chad had just talked to him, just said his name, and he was just standing there, unable to do anything because his emotions were so out of whack.

"Ryan," Chad struggled again. "Please… don't walk away…. came all this way to see you…" But Chad didn't get much farther than that because Ryan had finally got enough control over himself to step forward and throw his arms around Chad, burying his face in his shoulder.

And he didn't care that he was causing a scene, didn't care that his parents were watching, that Sharpay and Troy were watching, that the whole of Ryan's family and their close friends were watching. Because Chad was wrapping his arms around Ryan too, holding Ryan as close as he possibly could and whispering Ryan's name over and over into his hair.

What could be better than that?


	34. Chapter 34

Chad sighed gratefully when he was finally out of the bustier, out of those damn heels and that stupid dress. And he had tied his hair back into a ponytail because really, it was annoying when it was all straightened like that. Ryan had managed to scrounge up some clothes he and Troy could change into, though Troy had insisted that he was fine in what he was wearing. But Ryan had insisted, saying that while his father was open-minded it wouldn't do to make a bad impression, so eventually Troy gave in.

And after some quick introductions to his parents and other family, Ryan had led Chad outside, leaving Troy to the wrath of Sharpay. They sat quietly for awhile, Ryan curled up in Chad's arms, his back to Chad's chest, and Chad's arms wrapped tightly around him, just staring out at the coast, breathing in the night air.

Then Ryan tilted his head back and tugged gently at Chad's ponytail, making them both laugh.

"So who did your hair?" Ryan asked, smiling up at him.

"Gabi," Chad replied, voice still straining and heavy, such a struggle to get it out of his throat, to form the words that he knew were there, that had always been there, and turn them into something substantial. But he did it. Because every time he opened his mouth, Ryan would light up, blue eyes shining and smiling brilliantly with those oh so pink lips of his.

Ryan chuckled.

"Must have been some work, getting you and Troy all made up like that."

"Jason and Zeke did too… they couldn't come all the way with us."

Ryan 'hmmed' softly in his throat.

"Wish I could have been there."

"You were," Chad said, nuzzling at Ryan's hair. "We did everything with you in mind."

Ryan smiled at that, looking out to the sea, and threaded his fingers with Chad's.

"I still can't believe that you're really here," he breathed. "That you're—"

"Almost left when I saw the house," Chad admitted, tightening his arms around the blond. "All the cars parked outside. But Troy talked me out of it. Said I wouldn't have come all this way just to give you up without a fight."

"Then I guess I owe Troy some thanks," Ryan said. "For bringing you to me."

"Mm," Chad responded, pressing his lips gently against Ryan's temple. Ryan sighed in his arms.

"I'm sorry," Chad said after a beat, making Ryan shift to look at him. "That it took this long for me to figure out how important you are to me. I should have told you so a while back."

"It's alright," Ryan whispered softly back to him. "I should have done the same. But I know you had your reasons for keeping quiet. Even if I didn't like it."

"But I should have realized that," Chad said. "Should have understood that you needed me to talk to you, to tell you what I was feeling."

"Shh," Ryan said and placed a gentle kiss against Chad's lips, letting it linger when Chad moved into it, nothing big, just lips against lips. But that was enough.

"What you told me," Chad said when they parted. "The day you left. That's when I should have said something. You laid yourself out on the line, told me everything. I should have done the same thing."

Ryan said nothing, just rubbed his nose against Chad's and stared into his eyes, seeming to understand that Chad needed to say this, needed to get this off his chest.

"My grandfather died when I was a freshman in high school," Chad said quietly, pulling slightly away from Ryan to avert his gaze. "Had a heart attack on the living room floor."

Chad paused and shut his eyes, breathing in deeply. Ryan stroked his thumb along Chad's hand, rubbing circles into the flesh.

"I was there when it happened. In the same room. My parents had gone out. I saw when he fell, and when he…" Chad broke off and turned his face away, remembering the expression on his grandpa's face as it happened. Ryan moved to wrap his arms around Chad, but Chad held him still.

"I just stood there while it happened. Couldn't even grab the phone to call 911. And then he was gone, just like that, right in front of my eyes. It was the worst thing I've ever had to see."

Chad was silent for a few moments while he recalled all of this, and Ryan stayed there with him, stroking his arms gently and pressing back into his chest, as if to say he was here and Chad wasn't alone.

"But the thing was… I didn't know what to tell my parents. Didn't know what I could say to them when they got home and realized that I hadn't been able to do anything. I didn't want to see their disappointment in me, have them know that I wasn't able to stop him from dying."

"Chad," Ryan whispered softly, but stopped there. And Chad knew that Ryan wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, there was nothing he could have done, but was glad when he didn't. Chad knew it probably wouldn't have made any difference, even if he had been able to call an ambulance, but it didn't erase the fact that he had watched his grandfather die. Just stood there and watched.

"So I stopped talking. I figured if I couldn't talk, I wouldn't have to tell them anything. Wouldn't have to admit that I hadn't been able to do anything. Wouldn't have to lie to their faces."

Ryan sucked in a breath, but Chad held tightly to him.

"Maybe, I've always had this thing against lying, which was why it was so hard every time you did it. But… I was lying too. By not telling my parents what had happened. Not facing up to the fact that they saw behind my ruse anyway. And I shouldn't have held that against you, because I know you can't help it, that you don't want to do it. So, I'm sorry."

"Chad," Ryan cried softly and shifted in his arms once more, so that he could face Chad better. "I'm sorry too."

And before either one of them could turn this into an 'I'm sorry' match, they were kissing, mouths moving anxiously against each other. And Chad knew that it was all right. That Ryan forgave him for everything, that things were okay between them.

Chad placed one last kiss against Ryan's lips before pulling away, chuckling lightly. Ryan smiled up at him, and it was done.

"So you're coming back to camp, right?" Chad asked later, when he was lying on the floor of Ryan's bedroom, Ryan right beside him. Ryan's parents had offered to put Chad and Troy up in a couple of guest rooms as they surely had the room for it, but Ryan wouldn't hear it. So they had allowed Chad to stay in Ryan's room, with the condition that he slept on the floor and that Troy was there too. Ryan had agreed, but of course that didn't stop the blond from moving to lie beside Chad once his parents had retired for the night. Though, he stayed a respectable distance, since Troy was only a few feet away.

Ryan smiled and squeezed Chad's hand where he held it in between the two of them, the only place where they were touching.

"Of course," he said. "Though, Shar's not going to be too happy about it. She might even decide to stay here."

"Dude," Troy said, causing the two of them to turn so they could see the boy. Chad blinked, still not used to seeing Troy without his wig and other stuff.

"What's with Sharpay not having to do anything at the camp? That's been bothering me for a while."

"Oh," Ryan giggled, bringing Chad's attention back onto him. "Well, she doesn't really have to be there, since nothing's really wrong with her, so to speak."

"What?!" Troy exclaimed.

"Then why was she there in the first place?" Chad asked for the both of them.

"Well, she is my sister," Ryan said as if it was obvious, but elaborated when they didn't seem to get it. "She did actually do something to get into the camp, though she didn't have to bother since our parents would have let her come if she'd just told them why. But that's not Shar's style. She doesn't do explanations, she just acts."

Chad felt he kind of understood what Ryan was saying, though Troy still looked like he had no idea. Ryan and Sharpay were always together. From the little he had seen of them at the party, before they had been caught, was that they were never separated.

Chad knew that Sharpay cared about her brother, in her own crazy way, but she wasn't the type to go around talking about emotions. So when she knew he was going back this summer, she completely side-stepped the idea of just telling her parents she wanted to go to be with Ryan, and just went about things her own way. And Ryan's parents probably knew Sharpay well enough to understand what she really wanted, so they let her go.

"But then, what did she do to get into the camp?" Troy asked, still looking confused.

"Hmm… let's just say her anger issues got the best of her, and she relocated our swimming pool into our parents bedroom."

"What?" Troy said, even more confused than before. Chad just shook his head. Either this whole family was slightly insane, or Ryan was back to his normal lying self again.

Both were okay with Chad.


	35. Chapter 35

Ryan moaned low in his throat as Chad kissed his way down Ryan's torso, licking lightly at his stomach before placing a gentle kiss right above the waistband of his pants. Chad moved back up to suck Ryan's bottom lip into his mouth, pressing their naked chests together, making Ryan arch off the bed.

Ryan curled his fingers into Chad's hair and thrust his hips up to meet Chad's, their erections pressed together through their pants. Chad held Ryan's hips down as he moved slowly against him, rubbing deliciously against Ryan as he licked into Ryan's mouth.

Ryan whimpered against his mouth and clutched at Chad's shoulders desperately, pulling Chad more fully on top of him, wanting more friction, more of that wonderful body.

"Chad," he gasped when they pulled apart, but Chad was already pulling Ryan's pants down and off, moving to get his own. Ryan sat up on his elbows and watched as Chad divested himself of his jeans and boxers, letting himself memorize every plane and angle of Chad's body.

Chad grinned slyly at him from his position kneeled between Ryan's legs.

"Watch me," he said, eyes half-lowered and trailed his hand slowly down his own body, making Ryan moan. Chad had a gorgeous body. Chad grasped his leaking member and fisted himself loosely, staring at Ryan all the while.

"God, that's hot," Ryan moaned, reaching for Chad. Chad went willingly, letting himself be pulled into a kiss, tongue tangling with Ryan's.

"You're hot," he responded when Ryan pulled away to kick off his own boxers, wanting to feel Chad without any barriers. Ryan whined high in his throat and Chad took mercy on him, helping him remove the last article of clothing separating them.

"Chad," Ryan gasped again, when they were finally pressed together, fully naked, hips moving against each other.

Chad nipped at Ryan's neck, worrying the skin with teeth and tongue, while his hand played mercilessly with one of Ryan's nipples. Ryan threw his head back, bucking up against Chad, arms wrapped tightly around Chad's shoulders.

"Please," Ryan whispered, biting down on his bottom lip to keep himself from screaming.

"What do you want?" Chad asked against the skin of Ryan's throat.

"Touch me," Ryan breathed. Chad groaned softly against his shoulder at the words and quickly moved to wrap his hand around Ryan's erection, thrusting his own cock against Ryan's thigh.

"Yes," Ryan moaned, eyes locked on Chad's staring down at him. Chad had propped himself up on his forearm right beside Ryan's head, so that he had easy access to Ryan, however he wanted. Chad leaned down and bit at Ryan's lips teasingly, only kissing Ryan when he started to buck up into Chad's hand.

"Chad," Ryan said into Chad's mouth. "I'm—"

"Ryan," Chad breathed, and that was it. Ryan spilled himself over Chad's fist, mouth attached firmly to Chad's. A few seconds later, Chad followed him over, spending himself on Ryan's thigh and stomach.

"Mm," Chad hummed, exhausted, just barely holding himself up. Ryan pulled Chad down, letting him lie heavily on top of him, forehead to forehead while they caught they breaths. Chad eventually rolled over, pulling Ryan against him, so that he could he could tuck his head beneath Ryan's chin. Ryan chuckled breathily and wrapped his arms around Chad's back, letting one hand run lazily through Chad's curls.

"You do realize we're going to have to get up eventually. I'm sure the others will be wanting to come inside soon to collect their bags."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Chad groaned, burying his face against the warm skin at Ryan's throat. "Parents."

"Yeah," Ryan said softly, lightly. It wasn't fooling Chad at all.

"Are you worried?" Chad asked, biting at Ryan's neck.

"About my parents? No," Ryan replied.

"About us?" Chad asked.

"…yeah," Ryan whispered.

"Me too," Chad admitted.

Ryan groaned and buried his face in Chad's hair, not wanting to think about it. How he'd be going back to Rhode Island, and Chad would be all the way across the country in California. He couldn't even call Chad whenever he wanted, since the boy didn't own a cell phone.

"This sucks," Ryan complained, arms tight around Chad.

"Hey," Chad said softly, prompting Ryan to pull away just enough so that he could look down into Chad's eyes. "We'll figure it out. I promise. I'm not letting you go that easily."

"Good," Ryan smiled, kissing Chad on the forehead.

"Besides," Chad commented while they were cleaning up and redressing. "I can't leave you to the clutches of Sharpay without any relief."

"What?" Ryan asked, laughing.

"Come on. I totally saw how you acted back at home at the party. Trailing after her, quiet, head down, all dressed in black," Chad quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Hey, I was sulking," Ryan shot back, hitting Chad lightly in the chest. Chad grabbed Ryan's hand and brought it up, kissing his palm, brown eyes locked on Ryan's. Ryan swallowed. How did Chad do that? Stare at him so seriously with every emotion he had expressed in his eyes.

"So you said. But I don't recall the whole slow act as being part of the bargain," Chad responded.

"Well, I—" Ryan started, but didn't know how to finish.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Chad said, pulling Ryan to him and kissing his lips once before moving away, grabbing his duffel and going to unlock the door. Ryan left his stuff where it was and followed Chad out of the cabin, knowing that there'd be people by to pick it up later.

He grabbed Chad's hand when he caught up, wanting to have as much contact with him as he possibly could before they were separated.

"It's not usually like that," Ryan said as they walked along, and Chad gave him a look that made Ryan duck his head. "Well, not when it just the four of us. It's… harder when there's more people."

Chad squeezed his hand once in understanding.

"Well, I guess your parents keep Sharpay from doing anything too drastic. I bet they can be quite controlling when they want to be."

"They can," Ryan agreed. "Though, they let us get away with a lot."

"Dude, your parents are insane, you know that?" Chad said, but he was grinning, so Ryan supposed he could forgive him.

"My parents are awesome," Ryan said.

"Yeah, that too," Chad replied.

Cars were already pulling up when Chad and Ryan joined the crowd in front of the main building, campers reuniting with their parents, the whole big shabang. Anxiety welled up inside of Ryan.

"You have my number?" he asked, turning to Chad.

"Yeah," the boy replied. "I'll call you when I can."

Ryan nodded, still thinking it wasn't enough. Chad would have to use his house phone, so their conversations would be limited.

"Dude, you guys are finally out!" Troy called, bounding up to them in another of his summer dresses. It made Ryan smile.

"Yeah, what were you guys doing in there anyway?" Jason asked as the rest of the group came to say their goodbyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Chad leered, making Jason turn a bright pink as the others laughed.

"Well," Troy said, looking around at the group, and suddenly know one knew what to say.

"We'll all have to get together sometime," Gabriella eventually said, taking Troy's hand in her own and holding just as tightly as Ryan seemed to be doing to Chad.

"Definitely," Zeke said, which was echoed by everyone. And then they were all splitting up to say their individual goodbyes. Ryan received several friendly claps on the back from the guys, Zeke, Jason, and Troy, all quickly moving to Chad for their whole manly farewell thing.

Kelsi ran up to Ryan and threw her arms around him, gushing, making Ryan let go of Chad's hand as he hugged the girl.

"Be good," she said to him, giving him one last squeeze before letting go to jump on Jason. Ryan gave Martha and Taylor a hug each, wising them well before Gabriella finally came up to him and embraced him tightly.

"Thank you for everything," she whispered.

"It was my pleasure, sunshine," he whispered back, pulling away to smile gently at the girl. She grinned at him and turned to seek out Troy who had managed to move a few feet away during the process.

"Ryan!" he heard, and Ryan turned to see Sharpay standing beside his mother, both waiting for him.

"Right," Ryan nodded, holding up a finger to which Sharpay rolled her eyes. Ryan turned back, but Chad wasn't there anymore, and for a moment Ryan panicked, thinking Chad had left without saying goodbye to him. But then he heard a soft "Hey" from behind him and pivoted to see Chad standing there, smiling sadly at him. Ryan hugged him tightly.

"I thought you'd gone," he said fearfully.

"Of course not," Chad replied, pulling away to kiss his forehead. "Had to give you this first." And he pulled out a paper folded in thirds and handed it to Ryan.

"What's this?" Ryan said, already opening it up to reveal a sketch of the two of them sitting side-by-side, just holding hands.

"Chad," Ryan said, looking up, a lump forming in his throat. Chad shrugged and rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"I'm not too good at drawing myself, but I just… well, I thought…"

"It's perfect," Ryan said, smiling up at him, until Chad smiled back.

"I wanted you to have a part of me. I first started sketching as a kinda replacement for my words. But it grew and now I sketch because I can't imagine not doing it."

Ryan bit down on his lip and looked down at the sketch again, taking in each stroke that Chad had made against the paper.

"Chad," someone called, and Ryan looked up to see Chad's mother walking towards them. Of course, the camp had called Chad's parents when he and Troy had gone to Rhode Island, and then, they had called again when Mr. Evans had brought them back, telling the Danforths that Chad was safe and that he was talking.

"Hi, Mrs. Danforth," Ryan greeted when she came up to them, not sure if she remembered him.

"Hi, Mom," Chad said softly. Chad's mom froze, staring wide-eyed at Chad as if she couldn't believe it. Chad gazed warily at her, not sure what to do.

"Um," he began, but was cut off when his mom threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Chad!" she cried. "They told me, they told me that you were… but it was just so hard to believe. Oh, Chad!" Chad brought his arms up hesitantly and patted her back, staring helplessly at Ryan over her shoulder. Ryan just grinned at him.

"Ryan!" Sharpay called once again, closer this time, and Ryan looked over to see her standing next to Troy of all people, the crossdresser looking nervous and a bit awestruck as well.

"Are you coming?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Yeah," Ryan replied, turning back to Chad and his mother.

"Uh, Mom?" Chad said carefully. "Can I say bye to Ryan real quick?"

"Oh, of course, of course," Mrs. Danforth said, pulling away from her son and wiping at her cheeks, smiling brightly. Chad smiled briefly at her, turning to Ryan and stepping forward.

"Well," Ryan said.

"I guess this is—" Chad said at the same time. They laughed awkwardly and stared at each other. Ryan bit at his lip.

Then they were hugging, and Ryan never wanted to let go. But eventually Sharpay came to pull him away, muttering about stupid jocks and inappropriateness. Ryan stared helplessly at Chad as she dragged him off towards the car.

"I—" he tried.

"Yeah," Chad said, nodding.

And that was it.


	36. Chapter 36

Chad leaned back in his desk, and stared up at the ceiling, blowing one of his curls out of his eye. He really needed to get it cut. Around him, students were greeting each other enthusiastically, asking about each other summers and the like.

No one came over to Chad, but then, no one knew that they could. Chad had kept up a steady correspondence with the guys from camp, even getting a call from Gabriella one night to say hi. And he talked to Ryan as often as possible. But he still couldn't help but feel the cold loneliness as school started up again.

He was working up the courage to ask his parents for a cell so that he could talk to everyone more often, but he wasn't sure how they'd react, considering how they were still walking on eggshells around him, scared that he'd stop talking again at any moment.

It sucked, Chad decided, as he propped his feet up on the empty desk in front of him. All his friends lived so far away. They were all spread out across the country, California, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, Arizona. What was the point of having a summer camp where you'd make friends that would have to go back to their homes miles away from where you lived?

Chad sighed and unfolded his arms from behind his head, bringing his feet down to the floor and opening the notebook in front of him. Its pages were full of drawings of the people from camp. Zeke and Jason messing with a basketball, Troy and Gabriella dancing slowly together, Ryan smiling up at him from underneath his hat. Yeah, there were a lot of Ryan. Sketches of every little detail he could think of. So that he wouldn't forget. Back at home, his room was full of the drawings, on every available surface there was, whether it was meant to be drawn on or not. His parents weren't sure what to make of that yet.

Even now, Chad couldn't stop thinking of Ryan. God, how he wanted to see him. A few phone calls just wasn't enough.

Chad propped his chin up on one hand and started sketching lazily, letting his pencil do all the work. Chad idly thought that he needed to get a new notebook.

"Excuse me. Is this seat taken?"

Chad looked up, right into a pair of light blue eyes, twinkling down at him, pink lips curled into a happy little smile. Chad stared.

"Ryan?"

"The one and only," Ryan said, plopping down merrily on the seat in front of Chad.

"What? How?" Chad stuttered, mind going in circles, drawing blanks. Finally he seemed to settle on just one thing. "Is Sharpay here too?"

Ryan laughed, the sound of bells falling on Chad's ears. Chad grinned sheepishly. Okay, so that wasn't really what he had wanted to ask.

"Yes," Ryan answered. "And if you're wondering, no, she's not in this class, though I have a few with her later on."

"How did you get here?" Chad asked, leaning forward, almost convinced he was dreaming.

"Well, as it turns out, my school was burned down a few days before it was time to go back," Ryan said with the utmost seriousness.

"Burned down," Chad repeated.

"Mmhmm," Ryan nodded. "So Dad thought it was the perfect time to move, and what better place than California, right? From coast to coast."

"Really?" Chad asked, thinking that sounded a little suspicious. "Dude, you know that's like insane, right?" But he was grinning, though he shook his head in disbelief.

"Yep. Of course, it helped that Sharpay insisted on here. She said that it was only because she needed to be somewhere near the water, but I think she was really just tired of me sulking all the time."

"You were sulking?" Chad asked, smiling, starting to like what was going on.

"Oh, yes," Ryan said nobly. "It was most horrible. I wore nothing but pink and went around shouting orders to everyone, throwing tantrums whenever I didn't get my way. Shar was going crazy."

"I can see it all now," Chad grinned. Ryan smirked back at him.

"And I think Shar might have had something to do with the school burning down, though she won't tell me a thing, no matter how many times I've tried to wheedle it out of her," Ryan said leaning in as if sharing a big secret with him.

"Your sister is awesome," Chad said without thinking, bringing his head down so that it was level with Ryan's, wanting to kiss the boy in front of him, but mindful that they were surrounded by a bunch of other students. A bright smile bloomed on Ryan's face, and he stared at Chad, keeping his distance, but clearly not wanting to.

"Yeah?" Ryan asked softly, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Chad replied, ignoring the teens entering the room, people he had grown up with in favor of the boy in front of him. None of them could compare.

"You're pretty awesome too," Chad said, watching as Ryan smiled, pink tingeing his cheeks.

"Tell me something I don't know," Ryan scoffed, trying to cover for his embarrassment. "After all, I do have a great body. I can wear practically anything and make it look good, you know. And my hair—"

Chad smiled and laid his chin on top of his folded hands, watching as Ryan wove his story. Yeah, suddenly this year was starting to look pretty good.

**End.**

* * *

It's finally done, though there are still some things in the story I need to tweak, and I'm sure there were many errors I didn't catch, but it's done.


End file.
